Narcan Given To Possibly Overdosing Woman In Avon Lake

AVON LAKE, OH — Police had to administer Narcan, an anti-opioid drug, to a resident's adult daughter during a possible overdose last week. The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment after getting the Narcan, police said.

A resident called police a little before 6 a.m. on July 31 and said she thought her daughter was overdosing. The daughter's breathing was irregular.

Officers arrived and administered Narcan. The woman was then taken to a local hospital for treatment.

This was the second possible overdose in about two weeks in Avon Lake. On July 21, officers were called to a Lake Road home at about 9 p.m. for reports of a person possibly overdosing. When police arrived, they found a man laying on the floor of his living room.

Paramedics were already on the scene and providing CPR when officers arrived. The man was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for treatment.

Lorain County has seen spiking overdose rates during the worst years of the opioid epidemic. The county had 39 heroin overdose deaths in 2014, 13 of which involved fentanyl. In 2015, that number jumped to 41 heroin deaths, with 20 involving fentanyl. But 2016 was one of the bloodiest overdose years in Lorain County history.

In 2016 there were 131 overdose deaths. Things didn't get better in 2017, when there were 132 overdose deaths. The impact of the opioid epidemic has been felt in both large cities and small towns throughout Lorain County.

That's why the county has been selected to take part in an exclusive anti-opioid program being launched by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) is a new program that will try to identify opioid distribution networks and launch an "enforcement surge."

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