Middletown, Ohio – Newly elected Senator JD Vance from Ohio, who has only been in Congress for 18 months, had the opportunity to introduce himself to a national audience as he was named Donald Trump’s 2024 vice-presidential candidate. Following the announcement of his nomination in July, Vance soon found himself on stage at the Republican National Convention, sharing his family’s struggle with opioid addiction.

“Our movement is about single mothers like mine, who battled with finances and addiction but never gave up. I am proud to say that my mother is here today, 10 years sober. I love you, Mom,” he stated, while his mother, Bev Vance, blew a kiss from the audience. The crowd erupted in chants of “JD’s mom! JD’s mom!”

Since then, Vance has made fighting the opioid crisis a central part of his campaign. At a packed rally in Byron Center, Michigan, he presented a vision to close the U.S. border to stop drug smuggling. A few days later, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he called for the death penalty for drug traffickers.

However, experts in Vance’s home state of Ohio claim that they have yet to see policy proposals in this presidential campaign that adequately address the complex nature of the opioid crisis. Jackie Phillips Carter, health commissioner in Middletown, Vance’s hometown, stated that neither Democrats nor Republicans have presented viable solutions. “There are so many obstacles that I don’t think anyone is taking the issue seriously,” she said.

Dennis Cauchon, president of Harm Reduction Ohio, a non-profit organization, reflected on the challenges of confronting the opioid crisis, mentioning his colleague Dylan Stanley, who was hired in 2018 to lead public outreach. She was a tool for saving lives, yet struggled with addiction herself and tragically died of an overdose at the age of 30.

Cauchon respects Vance’s personal story, but he believes that the Republican’s tough proposals will not lead to improvements for those struggling with addiction. “I don’t think he has a good understanding of what needs to be done. Many people mean well but do the opposite of what is necessary because it is a complex issue,” Cauchon said.

Ohio has faced high overdose death rates since the mid-2010s, although recent figures show signs of decline. Middletown has been particularly hard hit, and Vance captured the crisis in his bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy,” which painted a bleak picture of a declining town struggling with addiction.

While Vance closed his non-profit, Our Ohio Renewal, in 2021 after criticism related to its ties to Purdue Pharma, experts argue about the real impact his work has had. Many believe that his portrayal of the region harms more than it helps, as it reinforces stereotypes about addiction and poverty.

“The biggest challenge now is always bringing the human aspect into it,” said Phillips Carter, emphasizing that many who struggle with addiction are just ordinary people. Treatment for addiction is complicated by several factors, including insurance and bureaucracy.

Still, there is reason to be optimistic. Overdose deaths in Ohio dropped by 34 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. Cauchon highlights local and state leaders, such as Governor Mike DeWine, for their bipartisan efforts to reduce fatalities. “Is the answer everything it could be? No, but it is much better than it was five or ten years ago,” he said.