(Painesville) - The Lake County General Health District has released a five-year Lake County overdose death report, which indicates 329 Lake County resident overdose deaths occurring between 2013 and 2017.
Dr. Matthew Nichols reports the majority of victims were single males, between ages 25-54, and worked in labor maintenance or trades.
Most of the victims overdosed at home, and not on street corners and back alleys. Nichols tells Newsradio WTAM 1100 this information will be used to tailor prevention programs, and the distribution of NARCAN.
Nichols explains, substance and substance combinations contributing to death varied, were heavily impacted by the rapid emergence of fentanyl and fentanyl variations.
Since 1999, drug-related overdose deaths have continued to rise, and Ohio has the fourth highest drug-related overdose death rate in the country, with drug-related overdose is the state’s leading cause of death.
Nichols says Lake County has been considerably affected by deaths attributed to drug-related overdose, and this trend continues despite the county’s wide range of harm reduction, treatment, enforcement, and emergency medical services.
(Photos by Ken Robinson/WTAM & the Lake County General Health District)
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