BUCYRUS - Although the COVID-19 pandemic may have been a factor, fentanyl is being blamed for a jump in the number of unintentional overdose deaths in 2020.
According to the 2020 Crawford County Drug Overdose Fatality Review report, 16 people — 10 women and six men — died last year, up from 11 in 2019. Ages ranged from 22 to 47, with an average of 34. Fentanyl was listed in the toxicology reports for 11 of the 16 fatal overdoses, or 69%.
In all, 140 unintentional overdoses were reported in 2020, a slight decrease from 2019, when the county had 144, after peaking at 157 in 2018.
The report also notes that those 16 deaths left at least 20 minor children without a parent, a statistic that demands action, two committee members said.