In the last year, the Lorain Police Department has reported a 67 percent increase in drug overdoses amid the opioid epidemic.
“We have seen an increase of overdoses this year, as opposed to last year,” said Lorain police Officer Tiffany Gentry, a crime analyst for the Lorain Police Department. “January 2021 through May 18, 2021, we had 39 overdoses.
“And this year, we have had 65 overdoses. Since last year, the overdoses increased by 66.7 percent.”
From April 30 to May 18, the Police Department responded to 17 overdose calls, according to police records.
Lorain County Public Health officials announced earlier this month an increase in overdoses throughout the county that were reported to law enforcement and the medical field.
Many overdoses go unreported due to the introduction of Narcan, or medicine that can revive an overdose victim.
“Something else to consider is how vast and how long we have been dealing with the opioid epidemic,” said Lorain police Detective Sgt. Dennis Camarillo, who supervises the Lorain Police Narcotics Unit. “Over time, addicts from all walks of life and their families have learned of and obtained Narcan.
“Narcan is an opiate blocker that reverses the effects of an opiate in a person who is overdosing. Because of this, I would venture to say that there are likely more overdoses that go unreported because the addict was able to be revived with Narcan by someone present.”
As far as the reason for the spike in overdoses, which have occurred each weekend this month, the cause remains unknown.
“Over the years, I have learned that opiates, other drugs and addiction do not discriminate,” Camarillo said. “Addiction is the one disease that few people like to publicly discuss.
“I can pretty much guarantee members of every socio-class have a friend or relative who is addicted to opiates.
“Also, drug dealers do not care what socio-class of people they sell to; to them, everyone’s money spends the same regardless of social standing.”
The Lorain Police Department’s Narcotics Unit has made significant seizures over the years, Camarillo said.
The volume of drugs that are seized suggests a high demand for these drugs, he said.
“In many cases, some significant seizures are from one particular dealer, yet the addicts are still getting their drugs, which means there are other dealers out there to supply them that haven’t been caught yet,” Camarillo said.
Addiction and drug abuse are complex issues, the detective also said.
“For starters, most people who are using fentanyl, are likely addicted due to the addictive nature of the drug,” he said. “This means that they not only are using on the weekends, they are using daily.
“Addicts that I have spoken with describe their withdraw symptoms, from not having fentanyl, as having the worst flu you’ve ever had, and multiply it by 100.”
Generally, people don’t like to talk about drug abuse, Camarillo said.
“Addiction is a complex issue, and as mentioned earlier, a lot of things are unknown because it is something that many people prefer not to discuss,” he said.
The Lorain County Coroner’s office has ruled one death it was investigating as a drug overdose, according to a spokesperson.
The office currently has 21 open death investigations, the spokesperson also said.
The Morning Journal has been unsuccessful in several attempts to obtain the number of open suspected drug-related death investigations through the Coroner’s Office.
Editor’s note: This story was edited at 7:43 p.m. May 21 to clarify that the MJ is seeking information on supected drug-related deaths.
