The County Line
With all the health news focused on the national pandemic crisis, there has been little to no attention given to the continuing number of fatal drug cases. Here in Hamilton County, Coroner John Chalfin says the cases of extreme drug overdose are probably running slightly ahead of last year.
As of the end of October there were 22 confirmed fatalities from opioids often mixed with other dangerous drugs for what could be called recreational purposes. There are seven more cases that were likely from the same cause, but toxicology reports have not yet been received.
This would bring the 10-month total to the same as all of last year when there were 29 confirmed deaths in the county attributed to the practice of taking deadly drugs.
The use of Narcan, a drug designed to revive an overdose victim, has slowed the fatalities, but Chalfin warns that Narcan cannot always save a person if he or she has consumed too much of a mixture of harsh drugs.
Sometimes four or five drugs of unknown origin are mixed.
Of course, some other drug deaths are attributed to accidental overdose or suicide. Toxicology tests are conducted here, too. But, the test results are taking longer, up to a month or six weeks, to be received, Chalfin said.
Chalfin suspects some drug deaths are unknown to local authorities because an overdose victim’s family will sometimes take the person to a Marion County hospital where an overdose death does not have to be reported to anyone in Hamilton County.
The ages of persons taking opioids and other dangerous drugs can vary considerably. It was once thought to be a bigger problem among young males, but the coroner says he has found victims into their 40s and 50s, both male and female.