News

Overdose Rates Fall in W. Va. County

By:
Posted on:

< < Back to

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.