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The OC Health Care Agency (HCA), Mental Health and Recovery Services (MHRS) is announcing the launch of a data dashboard reporting Orange County Drug and Alcohol Misuse and Mortality trends for the purpose of informing mental health providers, researchers and policymakers in targeting services to specific demographic and geographic areas most at risk of drug and alcohol misuse.
This dashboard, along with other HCA data, can be found by visiting www.OCHealthinfo.com/data. Users can interact with the dashboard by filtering information by age, gender, race, city and/or ZIP Code. Data will be refreshed annually or more frequently, based on the availability of new data. The data is sourced through the California Comprehensive Death File (CCDF) and the opioid prescription information is from the California Department of Justice (CURES) Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System.
“While the data reports lives lost to the tragedy of drug and alcohol misuse, we are hopeful that the information will help make decisions to save lives in the future,” said Chairman Doug Chaffee, Fourth District Supervisor. “At our recent Hope for Recovery event, resources and support were shared with members of the community and family members of those struggling with drug or alcohol addiction.”
“Substance misuse prevention is most effective when we have data to inform policies,” said Vice Chairman, Donald Wagner, Third District Supervisor. “The dashboard will be a powerful tool for targeting prevention initiatives.”
HCA’s MHRS will be launching a NARCAN community education and distribution outreach effort utilizing the demographic and geographic data provided in the dashboard. NARCAN is a life-saving medication/ intervention that can reverse an opioid overdose, which is the drug responsible for most overdose deaths.
“Having a better understanding of who is most at risk of a drug or alcohol death will help us educate and support our community by reaching out to our most impacted populations,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, First District.
“Narcotics, fentanyl, and opioids have infiltrated every facet of our society – our communities, schools, most vulnerable populations,” stated Supervisor Katrina Foley, Second District. “Tools like this are necessary to keep track of the escalating opioid crisis in Orange County and inform education on administering lifesaving drugs such as NARCAN, preventing tragedies in the long term.”
“Access to this data enhances our efforts to address substance misuse prevention,” said Supervisor Lisa A. Bartlett, Fifth District. “Using current and relevant data resources, we can create, and support prevention efforts related to mental illness and substance misuse.”
“The updated data provided in the Drug and Alcohol Mortality and Misuse Dashboard will inform a wide variety of efforts, including public awareness campaigns and community outreach. Planning for opioid settlement funding is beginning and this data will further inform the use of funding,” says Dr. Veronica Kelley, Chief of MHRS. “It will help deepen our understanding of the problem areas and strengthen prevention and intervention efforts.”
If you or someone you know needs help for substance misuse, please call OC Links at (855) 625-4657, or visit www.ocnavigator.org.
