MANSFIELD ā Richland County had 76 accidental deaths in 2024, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.
Fifty of those deaths were overdoses.
As an advocate and peer recovery supporter, Valerie Rust sees the toll of addiction firsthand.
āEven though there’s a lot of other issues that are in the forefront in the news, this is still a very real problem,” said Rust, a Catalyst Life Services employee and co-founder of Starfish Project of Richland County.
“I’ve lost a lot of people I’ve cared about to overdose death.”
The Starfish Project will host an overdose awareness event on Aug. 28 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Mansfield’s South Park. It’s the first one the organization has had since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The event is to remember those we have lost to overdose death, but also to provide support and resources for the family members and friends who are left with the grief and loss,” Rust said.
Rust said loved ones sometimes deal with stigma when a death occurs due to overdose.
āAt Catalyst, we are really blessed that if we have someone we’ve worked with who passed, they have resources for us, but not everybody has that,” she said.
Rust said the event will be “pretty casual,” with food available and participants seated at the picnic tables under the pavilion. There will be resources available for both children and adults on coping with grief and trauma.
There will also be space for people to speak about the loss of loved ones to addiction.
Dr. Joseph Bocka will discuss why it’s so difficult for people dealing with addiction to quit and answer questions.
“Sometimes if you have family member passes away, itās hard to reconcile why they didnāt just stop,” Rust said.
Overdose figures may be underreported
Richland County averaged almost one overdose death per week in 2024, according to public health data.
But Rust said she believes that number may not reflect the true extent of overdoses that take place, due to increasing awareness of Narcan.
Narcan is a lifesaving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. It’s easily administered, even by non-medical professionals.
As Narcan has become more readily available, Rust said more overdoses are being treated by family and friends, who are less likely to report data back to public health officials.
About the Starfish Project
The Starfish Project of Richland County began in 2012 an effort to address the evolving addiction crisis in the area. The organization helps those dealing with addiction and their loved ones find professional help, social support and practical resources to support recovery.
The Rusts founded the organization because of their youngest son, who struggled with addiction in his teens. He was later incarcerated for a drug-related felony, but eventually went to get treatment, get sober and become a pastor.
Rust said chances to access necessities like employment and housing are crucial to recovery.
International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31. For more information, visit overdoseday.com