3 Overdose Deaths In Lakewood Before 2019, Medical Examiner Says

LAKEWOOD, OH — Even as officials cautiously celebrate a new report that says overdose deaths were down in Cuyahoga County in 2018, the numbers for the past year continue to roll in. Three people were killed by heroin, fentanyl, or a heroin-analog in Lakewood in November 2018, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner announced Monday.

The overdose deaths were revealed when the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office released its preliminary report for 2018. Officials are currently projecting 560 overdose deaths in 2018, with several cases still pending, down from 727 deaths in 2017.

However, the Medical Examiner's Office is still processing cases from the end of 2018. As those numbers come into focus, its clear the opioid epidemic isn't just a problem for metro Cleveland. There were more overdose deaths in the suburbs than in the city proper in November 2018.

Lakewood and Parma both had three overdose deaths in November, the report says. Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland and Fairview Park each had two overdose deaths connected to heroin. Brook Park, Chagrin Falls, Euclid, Parma Heights and University Heights all had one overdose death in November.

Together, there were 18 overdose deaths in the Cleveland suburbs in November 2018. There were 16 overdose deaths in Cleveland that same month.

There are still three pending cases that could add to the overdose death total for November 2018.

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Still, as we noted in an earlier report, overdose deaths were down in nearly every category in 2018, based on the preliminary data.

• 560 Total Drug Overdose Deaths (includes prescription drugs) (727 in 2017)
• 440 Opioid-Related Deaths (includes prescription drugs) (556 in 2017)
• 404 Fentanyl-Related Deaths (492 in 2017)
• 255 Cocaine-Related Deaths (300 in 2017)
• 153 Heroin-Related Deaths (240 in 2017)
• 24 Carfentanil-Related Deaths (191 in 2017)

There have already been 12 overdose deaths in 2019, the Medical Examiner's Office said in a report.

Photo from Renee Schiavone, Patch