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Beyond the OD numbers

County authorities: Drugs weave way into many crimes

WARREN — Although there was only one more overdose death in Trumbull County in 2021 over 2020, law enforcement and drug treatment specialists suggest drug use still is a significant problem in the county and in Warren.

Last year, there were 117 overdose deaths in Trumbull County compared to 116 in 2020.

Since 2012, the number of accidental drug-related deaths in the county has increased — from 36 in 2012 to 117 last year, according to the Trumbull County Coroner’s Office.

There were 135 accidental drug-related deaths in 2017. The number dropped to 76 in 2018 but since then has experienced a steady increase.

Coroner Lawrence D’Amico said the increase in accidental deaths since 2018 is related to the COVID-19 pandemic. D’Amico also said he hopes the number of accidental deaths will decline as the pandemic ends.

Deaths represent a fraction of the overdoses in the county, according to Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board statistics.

Last year, there were 590 cases of people who survived overdoses and were taken to area hospitals. In 2020, there were 879 reported cases of people who had overdoses and survived.

Through March of this year there have been 158 reports of overdoses in area hospitals.

Many survivors were provided overdose prevention nasal sprays or shots, noted April Caraway, executive director of the county recovery board.

“There is no way for us to tell the total number of persons that may have overdosed in the county because there are survivors not seen by law enforcement, emergency medical technicians or hospital personnel,” Caraway said. “We gave out more Narcan in fiscal year 2021 than in 2020.

“We believe more people are surviving overdoses because Narcan has been available in drug stores and through area health departments,” she said.

TOP 10

Trumbull County for years has been one of the state’s top 10 counties for drug use and overdoses, according to Caraway. It has had a higher rate than neighboring Mahoning County.

Caraway described the county as being targeted by drug dealers because of high poverty and unemployment rates. She noted that over the last three years, the age range of those with the highest percentage of drug overdoses was between 31 through 40 years old.

“Generally, these are long-term drug addicts,” Caraway said. “Their bodies just give up.”

In 2021, the youngest person reported to have overdosed was 21 years old and the oldest was 68.

“We had overdose victims in their 70s,” Caraway said.

The areas of the county with the highest drug overdoses are its two urban areas –Warren and Niles — statistics show.

Two times the number of men suffer overdoses than women.

“Generally, women tend to take drugs with other people, while men are more likely to do so in isolation,” she said. “This may be why women generally are able to get help when they overdose.”

Toxicology results of those individuals who died from drug overdoses in Trumbull County in 2020 and 2021 have shown that fentanyl has been an increasing cause overdose deaths. This is primarily because it is being mixed with nearly every other drug, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and others.

PANDEMIC

The number of reported overdose cases — both those who survived and those who died– increased during the pandemic, Caraway agreed.

“There can be many causes, including isolation, anxiety as well as depression,” Caraway said.

Assistant Warren City Prosecutor Traci Timko said an increasing number of addicts are not accidentally taking fentanyl that is mixed with other drugs. They are in fact seeking it out, because it gives them a faster high.

Warren police Lt. Greg Hoso, director of the Street Crimes division, said drug crimes have been on the rise in the city over the last three years.

Timko added that drugs generally impact most other crimes that her office prosecutes. Abuse of drugs is impacting nearly every other crime category from burglaries, thefts and sexual assault, to assaults, traffic violations and murders, she said.

Hoso said between 80 and 90 percent of the city’s overdose deaths are people taking fentanyl-laced drugs.

“Some people buying cocaine and meth do not know the drugs are laced with fentanyl, which makes them more powerful drugs,” Hoso said.

Hoso said 1,258 doses of Narcan were given in Trumbull County in 2017. There were 590 doses given in 2021.

“The difference between the two years, I think, was in 2017 it was mostly law enforcement and paramedics administering the Narcan and they reported their actions,” Hoso said. “Narcan may have been given out by anyone on the scene in 2021 that did not report administering it.”

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