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Overdose Rates Fall in W. Va. County
By: Associated Press
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) – County EMS records show Cabell County’s overdose totals fell by 41 percent in the first six months of 2018 compared with the same period a year ago.
The use of naloxone – the drug first responders use to reverse an opioid-induced overdose – decreased by 49 percent in the West Virginia county compared to the first half of 2017.
Cabell County EMS director Gordon Merry says everyone is working toward a common goal in combating drug overdoses, and he thinks the effort is “headed in the right direction.”
Overdose reports fell slightly in June to 101, down from 112 in May – the highest single-month total in 2018. A spike in overdose totals in May followed an April total of 62 – the lowest single-month total since January 2016.