News Article

CLEVELAND (AP) - A medical examiner says Cuyahoga County saw the number of fatal overdoses from heroin and fentanyl double during the first two months of this year compared with same period in 2016.

Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson said Friday there have been at least 109 fatal overdoses attributed to heroin and fentanyl during January and February compared with 55 for the first two months of 2016.

Gilson says another 70 overdose deaths this year have attributed to cocaine overdoses, with 50 of those fatalities involving a mix of heroin, fentanyl or a combination of the two drugs.

Blacks comprise about one-fourth of the heroin and fentanyl fatal overdoses thus far this year, nearly double the rate from 2016.