COLUMBUS, Ohio - A study conducted by the Ohio Attorney General's Center for the Future for Forensic Science revealed that economic stimulus checks were significantly linked to the record surge in Opioid-related deaths.

Ohio Attorney General, Dave Yost says while stimulus checks were intended to aid in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, it also "fueled a tidal wave overdoses."

The study, titled "COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments and Opioid Deaths," used data from the Ohio Department of Health and found that spikes in Opioid-related deaths during the second quarter of 2020 coincided with the delivery of stimulus checks to the public.

In the second quarter of 2020 alone, more Ohioans died of an Opioid overdose than at any point since 2010. Between April of 2020 and April of 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died of Opioid overdoses.

That's the most recorded overdoses in a 12-month period since the CDC publicly began tracking the Opioid epidemic in 1999 and a 28% increase over the 78,056 death during the same period the previous year.

Authors of the study found that the convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic with the Opioid epidemic created a "perfect storm" for people with Opioid addictions due to their stressors being aggravated by social isolation, loss of income, decreased access to medication or treatment and other pandemic influences.

Attorney General Yost says the introduction to stimulus checks only increased overdose deaths.

"Throwing money at a problem isn't always the best solution. Let the data be the guide to learn from the past. Addiction isn't a sickness you can cure with just cash," Yost said.

The study was conducted by a team led by Dr. Jon Sprague, Director of Science and research for the Attorney General's Office and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Eminent Scholar at Bowling Green State University.

It has been accepted for publication by the International Journal of Drug Policy for its April 2022 volume.