RALI Ohio Offers Virtual Experience on How to Spot Substance Misuse

The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) of Ohio offers resources to assist parents and all adults with substance misuse prevention and education. Along with state and local partners, RALI Ohio is now offering a virtual experience to show the warning signs of substance misuse in the home. 

The RALI CARES Educational Program, developed in partnership with Code 3, includes a trailer with a mock space that depicts a teenager’s bedroom. Guided expert tours of the trailer teach visitors about signs of substance misuse in the home. With the pandemic, community visits with the physical trailer are on hold, but a virtual version of the tour is available online. In the coming weeks, the virtual tour will be offered on the RALI Ohio Facebook page and will include presentations from state and local prevention and recovery organizations.

In 2019, the trailer had stops in 11 Ohio communities, and hundreds of people walked through the trailer, with a greater sense about the warning signs of drug abuse and how to address possible substance misuse with their loved ones, said Code 3 Executive Director Joe Abdalla.  

This year, the Code 3 virtual presentation premiered on August 25, featuring segments from Dayton-based Families of Addicts and the statewide organization Prevention Action Alliance. 

Opioid-related deaths have surged in Ohio during the pandemic according to a recent study by a task force appointed by the Ohio Attorney General. The study found the death rate in Ohio from opioid overdose at 11.01 per 100,000 population in the second quarter of 2020–the highest rate in 10 years. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that in Ohio, 5,215 overdose deaths occurred in 2020, compared to 4,219 in 2019. The jump represents a 21.9% increase in the state. The organization also said Ohio's numbers are underreported due to incomplete data.

For more information about RALI Ohio, the fight against Ohio’s opioid epidemic, and how to safely dispose of unwanted medication, visit www.ralioh.org.