CINCINNATI (WKRC) - The Hamilton County Heroin Coalition is rebranding. Its new name in 2020 is the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition.

It is a name that Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus said better describes their work.

“It's not about one drug. It's about the overall issue of addiction in this community, and I think people will see it for that and say, 'Oh, this is a space that is talking to me,'” said Driehaus.

At Wednesday’s State of the Opioid Epidemic, Driehaus highlighted the successes of the prevention, treatment, interdiction and harm-reduction committees. But, recent numbers show that between 2018 and 2019, there is only a 9% decrease in overdose deaths.

“While the numbers are down and that's relatively good news, it takes one bad batch to spike those numbers back up. There is a tremendous amount of work to do, and we will continue to do the work,” she said.

In 2020, Driehaus said the committees will work toward keeping people in long-term recovery. The coalition also added Pastor Leslie Jones to offer a faith-based perspective.

“Oftentimes, people turn to their faith communities. They may have been a long way for a long time, but they return to those places get help, to get support,” said Jones.

The committee will make sure those faith communities are prepared. Driehaus also called on the business community, like J.B. Buse, to help.

“Our intention in joining the Heroin Coalition is to learn more about the work in the community and how as employers we can assist,” said Buse.

For those newly in recovery, it is not always easy to find a job.

“When you start to talk about workforce, we are talking about these individuals. So, I want to applaud the business community for stepping up into that space and saying we have a role to play too,” said Driehaus.

And that role starts now.

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