Data Graphics

HPIO has released a new policy brief titled, Connections between water quality and health.

The brief focuses on the importance of clean water and the many effects that water pollution and deteriorating infrastructure can have on health throughout life, highlighting data and information for policymakers to improve Ohio’s water quality, including:

• How poor water quality affects health
• Which Ohioans are most affected by poor water quality
• What Ohio has done to address water quality and additional steps the state can take

Despite Ohio having thousands of public water systems serving Ohioans across the state, not every Ohioan has complete access to running water, as illustrated above. In 2021, 124,761 homes (2.4% of homes in Ohio) lacked hot and cold running water and/or a bathtub or shower (i.e., complete plumbing facilities). Lack of complete plumbing was the worst in Appalachian communities, with 4% of homes (35,495 homes) lacking complete access.

HPIO will be hosting a 30-minute webinar on the findings of the brief on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 11 am. For more information or to register, visit: https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/events.

This project was made possible through the generous support of the SC Ministry Foundation, which promotes the mission and ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, as well as HPIO’s core funders.

Last week, HPIO released a new publication that provides a brief data overview of cannabis use in Ohio and policy considerations for the development of a new regulatory framework for recreational cannabis.

On Nov. 7, 2023, Ohio voters approved Ohio Issue 2. The ballot initiative changed Ohio law to allow the sale and purchase of recreational cannabis, regulated by a new Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce. The legislation proposed by Ohio Issue 2 became effective on Dec. 7, 2023, 30 days after the November election.

As the Ohio General Assembly and executive branch consider next steps, policymakers will need to weigh public health, public safety, equity and other considerations.

As displayed above, while the cannabis use rate for Black Ohioans was 1.7 times greater than white Ohioans in 2021, the cannabis arrest rate for Black Ohioans was 5.3 times greater than for white Ohioans the following year.

The Ohio Department of Commerce has posted information on its cannabis policy considerations on the Division of Cannabis Control’s website, including a Non-Medical Cannabis FAQ. The Ohio General Assembly is currently considering two pieces of legislation related to cannabis regulation, House Bill 86 and House Bill 354. More details about the legislation are provided in the HPIO publication.

HPIO has released a new publication that provides a brief data overview of cannabis use in Ohio and policy considerations for the development of a new regulatory framework for recreational cannabis.

As displayed above, in 2021, Ohio had the 10th lowest rate of teen cannabis use, compared to the 43 other states for which data is available.

On Nov. 7, 2023, Ohio voters approved Ohio Issue 2. The ballot initiative changed Ohio law to allow the sale and purchase of recreational cannabis, regulated by a new Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce. The legislation proposed by Ohio Issue 2 became effective on Dec. 7, 2023, 30 days after the November election.

As the Ohio General Assembly and executive branch consider next steps, policymakers will need to weigh public health, public safety, equity and other considerations.

The Ohio Department of Commerce has posted information on its cannabis policy considerations on the Division of Cannabis Control’s website, including a Non-Medical Cannabis FAQ. The FAQ includes information pertaining to business licenses and applications, consumers and administrative rules. Several proposed rules were submitted to the Common Sense Initiative on March 1 and public comment on these rules is due by March 13, 2024. More information is available here.

The Ohio General Assembly is currently considering two pieces of legislation related to cannabis regulation, House Bill 86 and House Bill 354. More details about the legislation are provided in the HPIO publication.

In February, HPIO released a new Data Snapshot detailing trends in suicide deaths in Ohio.

Among the data highlighted in the snapshot is the change in mental health challenges among Ohio high school students. As illustrated above, more Ohio high school students reported mental health challenges in 2021 compared to 2019, but the increase among female students was much higher than among male students.

The data snapshot also includes a list of resources to improve suicide prevention in Ohio.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org 24/7 for free and confidential support.

February is American Heart Month and new analysis from HPIO shows that early deaths from heart disease among working-age Ohioans (ages 15-64) vary greatly by county.

According to data included in HPIO’s October 2023 data snapshot Updated Death Trends among Working-age Ohioans, heart disease was the third-leading cause of death for working-age Ohioans, accounting for 5,654 deaths in 2022.

Using data from 2021 and 2022, HPIO found the age-adjusted rate of heart disease deaths among working-age Ohioans in each county, as illustrated above. The analysis shows wide geographic disparity in death rates. For example, Mercer County had the highest rate in Ohio, which, at 272.5 deaths per 100,000 population, was more than twice the rate of the lowest county, Noble, which experienced 132.6 deaths per 100,000 population.

According to the CDC, risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, being overweight/obese, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Conditions in the communities in which we live, such as access to healthy food and healthcare services and the availability of high-quality jobs, can influence these risk factors.

A new analysis by HPIO in honor of Black History Month found that it took 77 years after Ohio’s founding before an African American – George Washington Williams of Hamilton County— was elected to Ohio’s state legislature, which is known as the General Assembly. It would take a change to federal law, more than 80 years later, before the number of Black Ohioans serving in the legislature would reach double-digits.

Between 1880 and 1965, there were an average of 1.4 Black legislators in each General Assembly. After the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 required population proportioned districts, 12 Black Ohioans were elected to the 107th General Assembly (1967-1968).

Over the past two decades, the number of Black legislators has averaged 18 per General Assembly, with 14.3% of state legislative seats held by Black Ohioans in 2023.

Many Black legislators have championed legislation to address issues important to Ohioans facing challenges to health and well-being.

Examples of key legislation sponsored by Black legislators includes:

• Rep. Henry Clay Smith (1894-1901) sponsored the Ohio Civil Rights Act of 1894, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of race or color in public accommodations and provided for fines on proprietors who violated the law.
• Sen. Ray Miller (1981 to 2010) sponsored the Community Mental Health Act of 1988, which created the state agency that is now the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. He also sponsored a budget amendment in 1987 that created the Ohio Commission on Minority Health.
• Sen. Charleta B. Tavares (1993-1998 and 2011-2018) sponsored several health-related bills, including the Clean Indoor Air Act.

As we celebrate and uplift Black history, this month and every month, we honor the significant contributions of trailblazers who have shaped our state and improved the health and well-being of Ohioans.