Quick answer
Ohio counted no Ross County overdose death involving heroin in 2024, because fentanyl has replaced the supply. Fentanyl was involved in 21 of the county's 34 overdose deaths that year. Within 30 miles of Chillicothe, 11 programs prescribe buprenorphine and 14 offer overdose-reversal education. Here is how to start.
Is heroin still a problem in Ross County?
It depends on what is being sold as heroin. The heroin molecule itself has nearly vanished from Ohio's fatal overdoses - the state's 2024 report counted no Ross County death involving heroin - but the powder and pills sold under that name are almost always fentanyl, and fentanyl was involved in 21 of the county's 34 overdose deaths in 2024. Someone using "heroin" in Chillicothe today is far more likely to be using a synthetic opioid than the drug the word once meant, which is exactly why naloxone and medication treatment matter more than the label.
Ohio counted no Ross County overdose death involving heroin in 2024, because fentanyl has replaced the supply. Fentanyl was involved in 21 of the county's 34 overdose deaths that year. Within 30 miles of Chillicothe, 11 programs prescribe buprenorphine and 14 offer overdose-reversal education. Here is how to start.
What the local numbers show
Ross County's overdose deaths have fallen sharply, and the substances inside them have changed even faster. The Ohio Department of Health's 2024 overdose report counts 34 Ross County deaths in 2024, an age-adjusted rate of 46.0 per 100,000 - down from 49 deaths the year before. The county's 2020-2024 average rate of 67.4 remains well above the statewide five-year figure of 39.7.
The same report breaks deaths out by drug, and the heroin line has gone quiet:
- Heroin-involved deaths in Ross County: 1 in 2020, 0 in 2021, 2 in 2022, 0 in 2023, 0 in 2024
- Fentanyl-involved deaths in Ross County: 46 in 2020, peaking at 50 in 2022, then 38 in 2023 and 21 in 2024
- Statewide: heroin was involved in just 46 Ohio overdose deaths in 2024 - 2% of the total - a 39% drop from 2023, and 91% of those deaths also involved fentanyl
The Ross County Coroner's 2024 annual report points the same way: 36 drug overdose deaths in the county in 2024, down from 50 in 2023, with 26 involving fentanyl and 2 involving xylazine, an animal tranquilizer increasingly found in the local supply. Provisional CDC data put the county's 12-month overdose death count at 29 for the year ending March 2026.
Why the word "heroin" now means fentanyl
Heroin and fentanyl act on the same brain receptors, but fentanyl is roughly 50 times more potent and is measured in amounts too small to see. That is why a bag, a line, or a pill that looks like a normal dose can be fatal - and why someone who has used heroin for years can still die the first time their supply is cut with a stronger synthetic. The Ross County Post Overdose Response Team reports that reported overdoses fell nearly 36% in 2025, to 109 between January and August, down from 170 in the same months of 2024 - but the deaths that remain are overwhelmingly fentanyl-driven.
Treatment that works for opioid use disorder
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is clear that medication for opioid use disorder - methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone - combined with counseling keeps people alive and in treatment better than abstinence alone. Methadone and buprenorphine reduce withdrawal and cravings; naltrexone blocks opioids from producing a high and can only be started after opioids have cleared the body.
A SAMHSA locator search 30 miles out from Chillicothe returns 16 substance use programs:
- 1 federally certified opioid treatment program dispensing methadone and buprenorphine
- 11 facilities that prescribe buprenorphine and 7 offering buprenorphine maintenance
- 14 that offer naltrexone, 3 offering medical detox, and 6 with residential beds
- 10 intensive outpatient programs and 14 general outpatient programs
- 14 that provide naloxone or overdose education
Locally, the Paint Valley ADAMH Board (394 Chestnut Street, Chillicothe; 740-773-2383) plans and funds addiction and mental health services for Ross, Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, and Pike counties - the right first call if you are uninsured. Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health Center runs a 36-bed residential program for men in Chillicothe, a 12-bed program for women in nearby Greenfield, and a 24/7 crisis line at 740-773-4357.
Naloxone belongs in every home here
Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose and cannot hurt someone who is not overdosing. Ohio ships it free through Naloxone.Ohio.gov and community partners, and it is sold over the counter at many pharmacies. In 2025 the county's PORT team distributed more than 100 naloxone kits, and the share of people who received naloxone at the time of an overdose rose from about 50% in 2024 to 52% in 2025.
Paying for treatment
Ohio Medicaid covers medically necessary substance use treatment - withdrawal management, medications for opioid use disorder, intensive outpatient, and residential care - delivered by OhioMHAS-certified providers, for eligible members. If you are uninsured, the free statewide Ohio CareLine at 1-800-720-9616 is staffed 24/7, and the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 offers free, confidential referrals in English and Spanish.
How to start today
- In a medical emergency, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988.
- Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk options through with a treatment specialist, or use this form:
Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit. 3. Search findtreatment.gov from your ZIP code and filter for medication-assisted treatment or buprenorphine. 4. Call the Paint Valley ADAMH Board at 740-773-2383 if cost is the barrier. 5. Pick up naloxone - from a pharmacy, a local health department, or Naloxone.Ohio.gov - before you need it.
Opioid use disorder is treatable, and the medications that treat it are covered here. The supply in Ross County is more dangerous than the name on the bag suggests, but the treatment network is closer than most people expect. Other Heroin treatment in Ohio: Heroin treatment in Akron, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Canton, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Cincinnati, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Cleveland, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Columbus, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Dayton, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Hamilton, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Kettering, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Lorain, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Portsmouth, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Springfield, Ohio, Heroin treatment in Steubenville, Ohio.
Last updated: Fri Oct 23 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Frequently asked questions
Is heroin still a problem in Ross County?
The heroin molecule itself has nearly disappeared from Ohio's fatal overdoses - the state's 2024 report counted no Ross County death involving heroin, down from two in 2022. But the drug sold as heroin in Chillicothe is almost always fentanyl now: fentanyl was involved in 21 of the county's 34 overdose deaths in 2024, and 91% of Ohio's 2024 heroin-involved deaths also involved fentanyl.
What should I do if someone is overdosing right now?
Call 911 immediately and give naloxone if you have it - naloxone cannot harm someone who is not overdosing. Lay the person on their side to prevent choking and stay with them until help arrives. If you are in a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988, or call or text (800) 653-9376 to speak with a treatment specialist.
Where can I find opioid treatment near Chillicothe?
A SAMHSA locator search 30 miles out from Chillicothe lists 16 substance use programs, including one federally certified opioid treatment program for methadone, 11 facilities that prescribe buprenorphine, and 14 that offer naltrexone. The Paint Valley ADAMH Board at 740-773-2383 funds the local network and can point you to the right door.
Does Ohio Medicaid cover heroin and opioid treatment?
For eligible members, Ohio Medicaid covers medically necessary substance use treatment - withdrawal management, medications for opioid use disorder, intensive outpatient, and residential care - from OhioMHAS-certified providers. If you are uninsured, ask each program about sliding-scale fees, or call the free statewide Ohio CareLine at 1-800-720-9616.
Where can I get naloxone in Ross County?
Ohio distributes free naloxone through Naloxone.Ohio.gov and community partners, and it is sold over the counter at many pharmacies. The Ross County Post Overdose Response Team distributed more than 100 naloxone kits in 2025, and naloxone use at the time of an overdose rose from about 50% in 2024 to 52% in 2025.