The Ohio State Coroners Association has come out adamantly against the only issue on the statewide ballot, saying they can’t support 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 double in 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,” she said.
The “Yes on Issue 1” campaign said the current system is already broken.
“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,” said Dennis Willard of the Yes on Issue 1 campaign.
