Cuyahoga County experienced the most fatal heroin and fentanyl overdoses in the county's history last month.
According to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office, there were at least 60 confirmed overdoses in February due to heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two.
Prior to February, the highest monthly fatality rate in Cuyahoga County was in September 2016 with 57 fatalities.
Seven cases from last month are still pending further toxicology testing.
The residential demographics are as follows:
- City of Cleveland (36)
- Berea
- Broadview Heights
- Brook Park
- Brooklyn
- Euclid (3)
- Lakewood (2)
- Mayfield Heights (2)
- North Olmsted
- North Royalton
- Olmsted Township
- Parma
- South Euclid
- Westlake
Out of county:
- Brunswick (2)
- Eastlake
- Macedonia
- Northfield
- Wickliffe
- Willowick
At least 109 people have died this year from heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two. That's compared to 57 over the same time period last year.
The rate of African American fatalities involving fentanyl has nearly doubled since 2016.
Thirty-five people also died from cocaine in February. Twenty-six of those were mixed with heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two. This makes 70 cocaine-related deaths in 2017.
