By FRED SWIFT
While the nation remains focused on the relentless pandemic, the tragedy of drug overdose deaths continues almost under the radar.
In Hamilton County, Coroner John Chalfin says his office has investigated another 28 drug overdose deaths this year, most involving the very dangerous drug fentanyl. The figure is for the first nine months of the year and compares with 22 such deaths in the same period last year.
The average age of the victims is about 24, with more being male than female. Chalfin believes the drugs often come across the border from Mexico while actually being first mixed and processed in China. Most of the deaths are reported from homes, sometimes occurring at parties where drugs were dispensed.
Narcan is used increasingly by emergency response workers and others to counteract an overdose, but it is not always effective if a person has had too much of a powerful opioid or waits too long to get the Narcan medication.
The coroner is still awaiting toxicology reports on cases from October, November and thus far in December. By the end of last year, the death toll reached 31 and appears on track to easily reach or exceed that number this year when all reports are received.
In addition, drug deaths that occur in neighboring counties are not counted in the coroner’s record. Some suffering overdoses are taken by family or friends to a hospital in another county where they die.