Cuyahoga County sees 19 drug overdose deaths in a week, on pace for highest total in three years

CLEVELAND, Ohio – At least 19 people died of suspected drug overdoses over the past week in Cuyahoga County, which is on pace to record its highest total of overdose deaths in three years, according to the medical examiner’s office.

It’s unclear which drugs are primarily responsible for the spike in overdose deaths from Oct. 6 to Oct. 13 because the results of toxicology tests are not yet available, the medical examiner’s office said in a public health alert issued Tuesday. But fentanyl and cocaine have been primary drivers of this year’s fatalities, according to overdose statistics from last month.