Over the course of the opioid crisis hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost.

The U.S. has seen the drug overdose epidemic occur in waves, with the most recent spike occurring in 2023.

Nationally, rates of opioid deaths have been declining for over a year, and in Ohio, which saw some of the nation's worst rates in the mid-2010s, a similar trend is underway.

In Cuyahoga County, and many places across the U.S., fentanyl is currently the leading cause of drug overdose deaths, according to the Alcohol, Drugs and Mental Health Services unit.

This synthetic opioid is especially dangerous, with traces found in many different types of drugs as well as in counterfeit prescription pills.

Fentanyl-related deaths in Northeast Ohio spiked in 2021, and have been declining since. Playing a role in this trend is the widespread distribution of Naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses. Community leaders have also responded to the crisis by improving prevention and education tactics.

However, some cities are seeing opioid deaths on the rise again. And other synthetic drugs are starting to outcompete fentanyl.

Wednesday on the "Sound of Ideas," we'll start by talking about where Northeast Ohio stands in the approach and treatment of those impacted by opioids. We'll also discuss why we're seeing different shifts in drug overdose deaths, and what we can do to prevent a future spike.

Later, we talk to Case Western Reserve University world affairs professor, Kathyrn Lavelle, Ph.D. She has written a book that traces U.S involvement in the Arctic from the founding of the nation up through present day.

The book, "Reluctant Conquest: American Wealth, Power, and Science in the Arctic," challenges a perception that the U.S. is not a power in the strategic region.

Guests:
-Brian Mann, Addiction Reporter, NPR
-Joan Papp, M.D., Director, Office of Opioid Safety Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth
-Laurel Domanski Diaz, Justice and Health Equity Officer, Cuyahoga County
-Charles Sackman, person in longterm recovery & advocate
-Kathryn Lavelle, Ph.D., Author, "Reluctant Conquest: American Wealth, Power, and Science in the Arctic"