Local leaders urge Senate to restore naloxone and overdose‑prevention funding cut from House budget

Hamilton and Clermont County leaders and public‑safety officials told the Senate Health Committee that state funding for naloxone distribution and overdose‑prevention strategies should be restored to the governor’s proposed levels.

Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus described county efforts to distribute naloxone across first responders and community partners and credited the drug with helping reduce overdose fatalities. “Naloxone is not just a medication, it is the first step in our continuum of care,” Driehaus said, noting the county has distributed more than 30,000 doses through public health, EMS and community programs and described a 51% decrease in overdose fatalities since 2017.

Clermont County Commissioner David Painter and law enforcement and fire officials said naloxone availability directly saved lives in prior local fentanyl waves and that local programs provided thousands of community doses. Chief Thomas Thinnan of Newtown Police said naloxone has been indispensable for first responders during major overdose events and warned against cuts.

Advocates asked the Senate to amend HB96 to align with the governor’s funding levels for overdose strategies and to restore Department of Health injury prevention and drug overdose line items removed or reduced in the House version.

Why it matters: Witnesses said naloxone distribution is an evidence‑based harm‑reduction tool that opens opportunities for treatment and recovery; they warned that cuts could reverse recent declines in overdose deaths.

No votes were recorded during the hearing.