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County Reports 14 Fatal Overdoses In 5-day Period

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CLEVELAND (AP) – The medical examiner for the county that includes Cleveland says he and law enforcement partners are analyzing a “concerning trend” of 14 fatal overdoses over a five-day period this month, including four on Monday.

Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson in a statement Tuesday says the county is issuing an alert to make drug users and the public aware and to encourage users to seek help.

Gilson says more analysis is needed to determine why so many people died from Thursday through Monday. He says half of those who died were age 60 or older. The oldest was a 72-year-old man.

Gilson says overdose deaths for all drugs in Cuyahoga County this year are projected to match the 2017 total of 727, which was the highest in the state.