They’re in Kentucky, but these counties are part of Ohio’s heroin overdose crisis | McClatchy Washington Bureau

In a move that recognizes an epidemic of prescription painkiller and heroin overdoses in northern Kentucky, the White House drug czar has grouped the three hardest-hit counties in the region with Ohio’s.

Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties are part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area, but the only High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area in Kentucky covers Louisville and numerous Appalachian counties in south-central and southeast Kentucky.

Michael Botticelli, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, made the change at the request of the counties and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The shift should provide more resources and training to the region to fight the epidemic.

“This is important news for these counties,” McConnell said in a statement Thursday. “Northern Kentucky law enforcement officials are working overtime to combat drug trafficking in the region.”

The three northern Kentucky counties accounted for three of the top five Kentucky counties for heroin-related overdose deaths in 2015, according to the state Office of Drug Control Policy.

Together, the region saw 90 overdose deaths last year, compared to 131 in Jefferson County and 34 in Fayette, home to Kentucky’s largest two cities, Louisville and Lexington.

All five counties accounted for the most fentanyl-related deaths last year, as well as deaths related to fentanyl and heroin in combination. Fentanyl is similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more powerful.

Kentucky overdose fatalities rose to 1,248 last year from 1,071 in 2014. Overdoses involving fentanyl accounted for a third of the total.

The problem is severe across the Ohio River. Ohio drug overdose deaths increased to 3,050 last year from 2,531 in 2014, according to the state Department of Health.

Grouping northern Kentucky with Ohio will allow the region to leverage federal resources as well as state and local ones to fight the epidemic.