(Cleveland) – According to a report from Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson, the county suffered at least 46 confirmed fatal overdoses in January due to heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two. Half of the deaths were of Cleveland residents, the rest were suburban residents.
The ME’s office says 11 January cases are still pending further toxicology testing, which may cause the total to increase.
At least 517 people have died in 2016 from heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two.
Since February 1st, there have been at least 24 overdose fatalities. Over the past weekend, there were at least 14 suspected fatal overdoses, mostly in Cleveland.
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Tom Moore has been a news anchor and reporter for Newsradio WTAM 1100 since 1995. He has won a number of awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Press Club of Cleveland, and The Associated Press.