Cocaine is now Ohio’s most dangerous drug. It killed more people than heroin because powder cocaine and crack cocaine in Ohio are now broadly contaminated with fentanyl and its chemical relatives, such as carfentanil and norfentanyl. An analysis of autopsy results shows that fentanyl has now spread throughout Ohio’s illegal drug supply, except for marijuana [...]
Fentanyl is now the deadliest drug in America, federal health officials announced Wednesday, with more than 18,000 overdose deaths in 2016, the most recent year for which statistics are available. It's the first time the synthetic opioid has been the nation's deadliest drug. From 2012 to 2015, heroin topped the list. On average, in each year from 2013 [...]
MOUNT CARBON, Pa. (AP) — In a story Dec. 9 about the fatal overdose of a young mayor and his friend, The Associated Press erroneously reported the number of drug overdose deaths in 2017. It was about 70,200, not more than 72,000, which represented an earlier government estimate. A corrected version of the story is [...]
CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson, today issued a public health warning today, indicating that the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office has detected fentanyl in pills that have been disguised to appear as Oxycodone (30mg tablets). This is an immediate threat to public health safety, causing a heightened concern for potentially fatal [...]
President Trump signed a sweeping bipartisan bill into law on Wednesday aimed at making medical treatment for opioid addiction more widely available while also cracking down on illicit drugs being sent through the mail. The bill, which was passed by Congress earlier this month, will expand access to substance abuse treatment in Medicaid. The Senate [...]
CLEVELAND - The opioid crisis in Northeast Ohio is changing how those who provide afterlife care do their jobs. Not only are they seeing more overdose deaths, but each one brings its own unique challenges that could leave funeral home staff and their guests at risk. From accidental exposure to powerful drugs to fights breaking [...]
Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50, who are now more likely to die from a drug overdose than from car accidents or firearms. The United States has the dubious distinction of having the highest percentage of drug-related deaths in the world. While opioid abuse is a [...]
The super-potent drug has been the leading killer of the opioid epidemic — now it’s finding its way into illegal stimulants, and the death toll is rising Right now, the United States is grappling with a deadly opioid epidemic, and at the center of the crisis is illegal fentanyl, a painkiller found in hospitals that is also [...]
Gov. John Kasich, during a Thursday afternoon press conference at the Ohio Statehouse, says the perception of the drug abuse problem raging out of control is "simply not true." (Laura Hancock, cleveland.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio - Over 13 people died a day on average in Ohio due to drug overdoses last year, a new high as [...]
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The coroner for the county that includes Ohio’s capital city is warning of a spike in overdose deaths and encouraging friends and family members of addicts to obtain an overdose antidote. Dr. Anahi Ortiz of Franklin County on Wednesday reported five overdose deaths in 24 hours in greater Columbus, for a total [...]
