Overdose Deaths Spike Again In Northeast Ohio, Public Warned

CLEVELAND — Eight people were killed by narcotics in Cuyahoga County on Thursday.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner, Dr. Thomas Gilson, issued a health alert on Friday morning. Currently, the county expects to have more than 700 residents die of overdose deaths in 2021.

“Much like a month ago, yesterday’s overdose cluster is very concerning. Again, the public needs to be aware that using street drugs in and around Cuyahoga County is deadly,” Gilson said. “Resources are available to lessen the dangers, but the simple fact is there is only one sure way to avoid these tragic ends. Get yourself into treatment before it is too late."

Gilson's office is expediting testing to determine which drugs played a role in Thursday's overdoses.

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Fentanyl Hidden Inside Pills

On Friday morning, the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) released its own safety bulletin warning Ohioans that counterfeit prescription tablets — made to look like Xanax and Oxycontin — are being sold around the Buckeye State.

The counterfeit tablets actually contain fentanyl, which has been the primary driver of overdose deaths in Ohio over the past several years.

“Because of the potential lethality of these counterfeit pills, the ONIC issued this bulletin to raise awareness about the dangers of the drugs,” said Gov. Mike DeWine in a statement. “ONIC analysts have found that traffickers are using the ‘dark web’ hidden websites and person-to-person sales to sell these counterfeit pills.”

Here are some ways the ONIC said you could recognize the counterfeit tablets:

• The tablets do not come from a licensed healthcare provider.
• The tablets are not in prescription packaging (such as a labeled pill bottle).
• The tablets are being sold individually or in unusually small quantities.
• The tablets are being sold in unusually large quantities.

If you or anyone that you know is actively using or recovering from opioid addiction, contact Project DAWN for information at 216-778-5677. Eligible program participants, are given FREE Naloxone kits – the opioid reversing antidote. Additionally, the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County provides a 24-hour crisis hotline at 216-623-6888.