Economic stimulus checks meant to aid in the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed significantly to the record surge in Americans who died of opioid overdoses, according to a study by the Ohio Attorney General’s Center for the Future of Forensic Science. The Ohio Attorney General’s peer-reviewed study, titled “COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments and Opioid Deaths,” has been accepted for publication by the International Journal of Drug Policy for its April 2022 volume. “The link between pandemic relief money and opioid overdose deaths is now evident,” Yost said. “The intent was to help Americans navigate this deadly pandemic but it...