By Associated Press - Thursday, October 20, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The daughter of blues musician Ray Charles is making a swing through Ohio to emphasize the role of the church in fighting the opioid crisis.

Singer-songwriter Sheila Raye Charles, a recovered addict, plans remarks Thursday at the Ohio Statehouse. She will join a volunteer for the Kairos Ministry and Drug Free Action Alliance executive director Marcie Seidel.

Advocates support treating addiction as a disease and incorporating treatment options into Ohio’s plan for tackling heroin abuse and a deadly rash of heroin and opioid overdoses.

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The group plans to draw attention to the number of non-violent offenders incarcerated in Ohio’s prisons and to promote additional drug treatment options as a way to stop the cycle of drug use, addiction and conviction.

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