More than 1,000 New Mexicans die from drug overdoses each year, and while there s been a slight drop in overdoses from opioids nationwide, it s mostly offset by those from cocaine and other stimulants. James Besante, chief medical officer at the Santa Fe Recovery Center, said the opioid crisis is evolving - sometimes described as "waves." Now in its fourth wave, he said the nearly 4% decrease reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is good news, but doesn t reflect what he s seeing on the ground. He noted that it s common that multiple drugs are involved in overdose deaths. .
By Mara O Malley for Kent State News Lab.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. According to the Ohio Department of Aging s Summary Assessment of Older Adults, deaths by suicide among adults ages 60 and older have increased by 40% in the last decade. The spike is particularly concentrated among men aged 85 and older. .
By Mara O Malley for Kent State News Lab.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. Though it is now legal for Ohioans to use cannabis, the 2023 passage of Issue 2 does not prevent employers from drug testing job applicants and employees and instituting zero-tolerance policies. Employers in Ohio are still permitted to penalize workers who use, possess or distribute marijuana. .
By Faith Fistler for Kent State News Lab.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. The first time Tyana Barton was singled out because of her hair was when she was told to straighten it before a dance recital. "That was like the first time in maybe 10 years I ve ever had to straighten my hair. " .
Research shows the number of Black women experiencing postpartum depression could be as high as 44%. Ohio clinics are working on ways to better improve screening and mental-health support for these moms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. .