Meth and cocaine deaths soaring to record levels
Stimulants contain fentanyl is driving overdose epidemic
Confirmed overdose deaths in Ohio reached 3,269 today, a 5.5% increase over the number reported at the same time last year. It seems likely that, in 2021, Ohio will exceed the horrific record of 5,017 overdose deaths set in 2020.
Remember, the numbers shown here lag what actually happened because it takes time for toxicology tests, death investigations, etc. to confirm a cause of death. These numbers show only deaths that are confirmed and entered into the Ohio Department of health mortality database.
Ohio’s dangerous drug supply — not our state’s level of drug use, which is slightly below the U.S. average — is our deadly problem. Drug checking and a safe supply of drugs are the ONLY ways to significantly reduce overdose death during the drug war’s fentanyl era.
The only real way to significantly reduce overdose death is to end the drug war. An adulterated drug supply is the inevitable, unavoidable, unpreventable result of drug prohibition.
Ending the drug war = ending the overdose epidemic.