The Ohio State Coroners Association has come out adamantly against the only issue on the statewide ballot, saying they can’t be for any measure that makes it more difficult to prosecute drug dealers and traffickers.
Ohio coroners say Issue 1 will help re-sentence drug dealers, putting them back on the streets to “continue poisoning their communities.”
Dr. Lisa Mannix is the coroner for Butler County, which has seen the overdose death rate more than doublein the last four years.
“It’s deceptive, it’s not about neighborhood safety, and drug treatment, and rehabilitation, it’s about prison reform and if you empty the prisons you will fill the morgue,” says Mannix.
The “Yes on Issue 1” campaign says the current system is already broken and that the new measure would provide much needed money and treatment for drug offenders.
“We are already losing 14 people a day to overdose deaths and the current system being embraced by politicians is broken. A ‘yes’ vote on Issue 1 will make our communities safer and save lives because we will be providing much needed treatment to people who suffer with addiction,” says Dennis Willard, spokesperson for the campaign. Copyright 2018 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.