Cuyahoga County Reports 60 Heroin/Fentanyl Overdoses for Month

CUYAHOGA COUNTY EXPERIENCES AT LEAST 60 FATAL HEROIN/FENTANYL OVERDOSES IN FEBRUARY

Fentanyl Death Rate among African Americans Nearly Double 2016

Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson today announced Cuyahoga County experienced at least 60 confirmed fatal overdoses in February due to heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two. This marks the single highest monthly fatality rate in Cuyahoga County’s history, previously experienced in September 2016 (57 fatalities). 7 February cases are still pending further toxicology testing, which may cause the monthly total to increase. At least 109 victims have died in the first two months of 2017 from heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two. In 2016, 57 victims died from heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two in the first two months.

Dr. Thomas Gilson: “One of the biggest problems we have is in de-stigmatizing drug addiction. I do not think most addicts enjoy being addicts. Treatment works. People can recover from this if they get treatment.”

Dr. Thomas Gilson at a Bay Village Town Hall Meeting last year: “One of the biggest problems we have is in de-stigmatizing drug addiction. I do not think most addicts enjoy being addicts. Treatment works. People can recover from this if they get treatment.”

February residential demographics are as follow:

36 – City of Cleveland Residents

24 – Suburban Residents

Berea, Broadview Heights, Brook Park, Brooklyn, Euclid (3), Lakewood (2), Mayfield Heights (2), North Olmsted, North Royalton, Olmsted Township, Parma, South Euclid, Westlake and 7 out of county residents – Brunswick (2), Eastlake, Macedonia, Northfield, Wickliffe, and Willowick.

Additionally, the rate of African American fatalities involving fentanyl is 24% of all victims, nearly double the rate in 2016.

	Fentanyl Deaths (Jan/Feb)	White	Black
2016	55	48 (87%)	7 (13%)
2017	109	82 (75%)	26 (24%)

February also suffered 35 cocaine-related deaths, with 26 being mixed with heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two. At least 70 cocaine-related deaths have occurred in 2017, with at least 50 being mixed with heroin, fentanyl, or a both.

For additional information and to view the complete report, please visit: http://medicalexaminer.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_medicalexaminer/en-US/030317-CCMEO-HeroinFentanylCocaineUpdate.pdf