Center for Interventions, Treatment, and Addictions Research (CITAR)

Unintentional Drug Overdose Poisoning Project

According to data from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), in 2008, there were 132 unintentional drug overdose deaths among Montgomery County residents. Death certificates revealed 106 (80 percent) of these decedents had prescription opioids, such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and methadone, in their systems at the time of death. Benzodiazepines were often found along with the opioids.

Because Montgomery County has an above-average unintentional drug overdose death rate, compared to many other counties in Ohio, Public Health — Dayton & Montgomery County (PHDMC), in collaboration with Montgomery County’s Office of Family and Children First, submitted a proposal to the ODH seeking federal injury prevention block grant funds to address the problem. A renewable grant was awarded in 2010. The WSU Center for Interventions, Treatment & Addictions Research (CITAR) is carrying out the work specified in the grant on a contractual basis. In doing so, CITAR is collaborating with PHDMC, the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, and the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board as well as stakeholders in the community.

The goal of the project is to help reduce the rate of unintentional prescription drug overdose deaths in Montgomery County. To accomplish this, the project’s objectives are to:

  1. participate in the Montgomery County Opiate Task Force;
  2. maintain the Poison Death Review process;
  3. implement the Coalition’s recommendations;
  4. educate prescribers about OAARS;
  5. offer training about the unintentional OD problem to heath care professionals; and
  6. develop a social marketing strategy to reduce unintentional Rx overdoses.

These objectives are essentially the same ones specified in the initial proposal except that the original Unintentional Drug Poisoning Coalition has been replaced by the Montgomery County Opiate Task Force, which is operated by the Montgomery County ADAMHS Board. Several members from the old coalition now serve on the Montgomery County Opiate Task Force.

CITAR faculty and staff involved in the project included: Russel Falck, M.A., project director; Robert Carlson, Ph.D., co-director; Raminta Daniulaityte, Ph.D., co-director; Tim Lane, M.Ed., project injury prevention coordinator; Heather Stevens, M.S., project injury prevention coordinator; and Linna Li, M.S., data manager.


Rx Drug Abuse Educational Video Series

The Center for Interventions, Treatment and Addictions Research (CITAR) at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine joined with local physicians and other experts to produce a series of short videos, all less than 10 minutes long, to raise awareness of the medical and public health issues surrounding the use of Rx opioids.


Preventing Drug Overdose News Releases and Posters


Project Reports


State and Federal Data on Fatal Prescription Overdoses


Miscellaneous Resources


Community Symposium on Prescription Drug Abuse

The Center for Interventions, Treatment & Addictions Research collaborated with Public Health — Dayton & Montgomery County to web cast a live Community Symposium on Prescription Drug Abuse on Dec. 9, 2010. Its purpose was to raise awareness in the community at-large about the problem of prescription drug abuse and unintentional drug overdoses by providing information on the nature and extent of the problem, including signs and symptoms, alternatives and how to find help.


Montgomery County ADAMHS Opiate Task Force Meeting Minutes


Coalition Meeting Notes


Montgomery County Unintentional Drug Poisoning Coalition Roster

  • Gary LeRoy, M.D.
    Chair, Unintentional Drug Poisoning Coalition
    Associate Dean, WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine
  • James Gross, M.P.H.
    Vice-Chair, Unintentional Drug Poisoning Coalition
    Health Commissioner
    Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County
  • Gideon S. A. Adegbile, M.D.
    Medical Director
    Project C.U.R.E.
  • James E. Brown, M.D., EMT-P
    Chair, Emergency Medicine
    WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine
  • Rick Buenaventura, M.D.
    Pain Relief of Dayton
  • Robert Carlson, Ph.D.*
    Co-Pl, Unintentional Drug Poisoning Project
    CITAR, WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine
  • Gail Chmielewski, M.S.
    Outpatient Program Coordinator
    Center for Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Services
  • Raminta Daniulaityte, Ph.D.*
    Co-I, Unintentional Drug Poisoning Project
    CITAR, WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine
  • Russel Falck, M.S.,*
    Unintentional Drug Poisoning Project
    CITAR, WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine
  • Andrea Herman, M.P.A.
    Director, Division of Program & Outcome Evaluations
    Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County
  • Mark Hess
    Assistant Chief
    Dayton Police Department
  • Andrea Hoff
    Program Coordinator
    Montgomery County Office of Family and Children First
  • William Holly, M.P.A.
    Executive Director
    Project C.U.R.E.
  • Karen Kirkam, M.D.
    Department of Internal Medicine
    WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine
  • D. Timothy Lane, M.Ed.*
    Injury Prevention Coordinator
    Unintentional Drug Poisoning Project
    CITAR, WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine
  • Lee D. Lehman, Ph.D., M.D.
    Chief Deputy Coroner
    Montgomery County Coroner's Office
  • Laureen Marinetti, Ph.D., D-ABFT
    Chief Toxicologist
    Montgomery County Coroner's Office &
    Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory
  • Bradford Nickels
    Division of Emergency Services
    Dayton Fire Department
  • Jeffrey Payne
    Assistant Chief
    Division of Emergency Services
    Dayton Fire Department
  • Brenda Roman, M.D.
    Professor of Psychiatry
    WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine
  • Anne Russell, Ph.D., R.N.
    Assistant Professor of Nursing
    WSU College of Nursing & Health
  • Willie Scales
    Community Representative
  • Carole A. Smith, M.S., C.N.S., CCRN
    Pain Clinic
    Miami Valley Hospital
  • Chris Stieritz, R.Ph.
    Chief Pharmacist, Southview
    Kettering Health Network
  • Monica Sutter, R.N., B.S.N.
    Chemical Dependency Resource Nurse
    Good Samaritan Hospital
  • Doug Teller, M.D.
    Internal Medicine/Addiction Medicine
    Kettering Health Network

* Center for Interventions, Treatment & Addictions Research (CITAR) Unintentional Drug Poisoning Project Staff

Last edited on 03/13/2018.