Suspected heroin, fentanyl overdoses in Cuyahoga County killed 13 over Memorial Day weekend
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office said on Tuesday that 13 people died as a result of heroin or fentanyl overdoses during the three-day Memorial day weekend. Of the 13 dead, nine were men and four were women ranging from age 21 to 60. Ten were black and three were white, the medical examiner office says. Those who overdose were residents of Cleveland, Parma, Lakewood and as far as Cincinnati. The deaths are still under investigation and testing. About this time last year, 11 people overdosed on opioid-related drugs. Heroin and fentanyl killed at least 41 people in April. That's [...]
Heroin and fentanyl killed more people in Cuyahoga County in 2016 than homicides, suicides and car crashes
Drug overdose deaths reached record levels last year in Cuyahoga County CLEVELAND, Ohio –The prevalence of fentanyl and an increased number of cases involving cocaine resulted in the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office confirming Wednesday a distressing bottom line expected for months: Opioids killed more people in 2016 than any year in the county's history. The heroin and fentanyl epidemic that has claimed thousands of lives in Cuyahoga County reached a record level with 666 drug overdose deaths being reported in 2016. Officials said throughout the year that the county was on pace to exceed previous years' totals; a Wednesday [...]
Mom writes honest obit about son who overdosed: Unfortunately, he will be remembered as a statistic
AKRON, Ohio - "All Adam wanted was a normal life, free from the chains of addiction." Unfortunately, the 25-year-old from Akron died way too soon. As the nation deals with an opioid epidemic, Adam Bear's family is sharing his story to inform people about the resources available to those who are addicted to drugs. In his obituary, his mother wrote: Adam enjoyed going to the gym, snowboarding, four wheeling, jet skiing, bonfires on the beach, reading – especially Harry Potter – and will always be remembered for his charming personality, disarming good looks and welcoming smile. Unfortunately, he will also [...]
Drug court symposium draws crowd to discuss crack addiction in opiate-focused times
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Greater Cleveland Drug Court coordinator Dr. Daryl D. Jackson told a crowd of some 200 people Wednesday about the difference in how American society compares crack-cocaine addiction to heroin and opioid addiction. "When you see individuals who are addicted to crack cocaine, they are often viewed as nasty, gutter, low-level individuals" he said. "When you see someone who could possibly be addicted to heroin, they are seen as 'it's a disease, it's a mental health illness, it's a sickness.' So often individuals are looked at different because of their drug of choice." Jackson was one of [...]
National opioid epidemic may be worse than estimated
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The opioid epidemic that claimed 33,000 lives nationwide in 2015 may actually be worse than thought, says a report by CNN.com. That determination is based on findings by researchers lead by Dr. Victoria Hall, a field officer with the Centers for Disease Control in Minnesota. Earlier this month, officials in Cuyahoga County, working with cleveland.com and several others kicked off an opioid awareness campaign called "Know the Risks." The package included multiple stories that ran the gamut on opioid concerns from knowing the warning signs of addiction to how we got in this predicament. Are you at [...]
Join us for Faith Leader Training May 12
On ‘Awareness Weekend’ hundreds of pastors and faith leaders across our region will be preaching and teaching on the heroin crisis and how we as a faith community can respond and help our brothers and sisters in need. As a follow up, we will be recapping our efforts thus far and have a few keynote speakers present on how you, as a faith leader, can respond to this crisis in our faith community and what resources are available to you.