In 2016, Ohio was the state with the second largest drug overdose death rate in the nation. Dayton, Ohio and its surrounding Montgomery County, which neighbors Greene County, has in recent years been given the moniker, “Overdose Capital of America”. 

One might posit that drug use in Xenia is correlated with an increased crime rate. Xenia has a much higher crime rate than any other Greene County city except for Fairborn. Although neither the City of Xenia Police nor the Greene County Sheriff’s Office publish data on the number of drug-related crimes, this author observed while serving on grand jury duty that the vast majority of crimes presented to the grand jury were drug-related. A search of local news articles from the past few years brings up several accounts of drug raids in Xenia that have shut down dealer operations. 
Drug abuse also has a significant effect on infant and child welfare. Xenia and Fairborn lead the county in the number of infants born with a positive toxicology screen, triggering abuse investigations by Greene County Children Services.

The problem of drug addiction in Xenia and Greene County seems to be widely recognized by the community as a significant problem. Numerous governmental, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations have been developed to address this crisis. Since its inception in 1990, TCN Behavioral Health Services has developed a comprehensive outpatient treatment program as well as a residential treatment facility for men. The Women’s Recovery Center residential treatment facility for single women and women with children has been serving the Xenia community for over 30 years. To address the problem of long wait times for admission to the Women’s Recovery Center, the faith-based nonprofit Her Story House recently opened to provide women a safe place to live and detox while waiting for a treatment center bed to become available. Unfortunately, such a facility did not exist for men in Xenia at the time of this writing. 
The criminal justice system in Xenia works in cooperation with these local recovery centers, as well as offering residential treatment centers within the local jail system for men and women who are incarcerated. The Xenia Police Division also works in cooperation with Xenia Community Schools to provide prevention services for area youth. Recognizing the need for ongoing community support outside of the intensive treatment environment, The Hope Spot of Greene County opened its doors in 2015 to provide a safe place for those in recovery to attend 12-step meetings, socialize, and receive peer support.

The impact of poverty on the community is significant enough that Xenia Community Schools meet the criteria for the USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision, meaning that all elementary and middle school students are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch each school day due to a government funded program. 

The issue of poverty in Xenia seems to be a well-acknowledged fact in the community. However, it does not appear to garner much attention in the local media. Several church and government organizations provide food pantries, free community meals, and clothing closets for people in need. At a recent meeting of the Xenia City Council, City Manager Brent Merriman expressed the overwhelming difficulty of relying on city income tax revenue to fund first responder services. Because poverty is so prevalent, many citizens who utilize first responder services the most do not receive enough income to pay taxes that would help to offset their cost. Thus, the elevated poverty rate in Xenia presents a greater burden to taxpayers in the community.
