Ohio's Opioid Overdose Deaths and Seizures of Fentanyl

By Chuck Dinerstein, MD, MBA — Nov 07, 2019

Here is yet more evidence that fentanyl, rather than prescription drugs, is fueling the opioid crisis. It's time to add illegal drug cartels to the list of defendants.

Courtesy of the State of Ohio’s General Assembly

Sometimes a picture does say so much more than words.

"The United States continues to experience an unprecedented overdose crisis. Fentanyl overdose deaths increased 525% from 3105 in 2013 to 19,413 in 2016 and then increased 45.2% from 19,413 in 2016 to 28,466 in 2017, with fentanyl overdose deaths outpacing deaths from both prescription opioids and heroin in 2016 and 2017."

"By integrating overdose mortality data from Ohio’s Vital Statistics System with state crime laboratory data from Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, we demonstrate a significant association between law enforcement drug seizures and overdose deaths in Ohio from 2014 to 2017."

Source: Association of Law Enforcement Seizures of Heroin, Fentanyl, and Carfentanil With Opioid Overdose Deaths in Ohio, 2014-2017 JAMA Network Open DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.14666 (R

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Chuck Dinerstein, MD, MBA

Director of Medicine

Dr. Charles Dinerstein, M.D., MBA, FACS is Director of Medicine at the American Council on Science and Health. He has over 25 years of experience as a vascular surgeon.