Preliminary figures on opioid overdose deaths this year show Franklin County is on pace to surpass last year's numbers. Mike Foley has details.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office says there were 268 overdose deaths in the first six months of 2017. That’s an 88% increase from the same period in 2016, according to the county’s latest preliminary figures. Officials say 80% of the fatalities stemmed from opiates, primarily fentanyl. 72% of the overdose deaths were men and 76% were white, although officials report a five percent increase in the African American community for the first half of this year. The top 5 zip codes for those who died of overdoses were: 43232 –the Eastland area, 43223 – the Hilltop area, 43206 – the German Village and Merion Village areas, 43207 – the Obetz area, and 43211 – the Linden area. The coroner’s office says there were 495 overdose deaths in Franklin County last year. The Ohio Department of Health reported 4,050 fatal overdoses in the state last year, including nearly 3,500 that were opioid-related.
