Monday s quarterly meeting of the Erie County Opiate Epidemic Task Force was an opportunity to warn community members about an alarming increase in opioid poisoning deaths with cocaine involvement.
Lives lost to opioid overdoses remembered on Black Balloon Day
After years of a downward trend when it comes to overdose deaths in Erie County, there s been a sharp increase, largely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Author: WGRZ Staff Updated: 6:42 PM EST March 6, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. The names of the 232 lives lost to opioid overdoses in Erie County last year were read during a virtual event on Saturday afternoon.
The Opiate Epidemic Task Force held an awareness event to mark National Black Balloon Day. It s a day where those impacted by drug overdoses place black balloons on their porches or mailboxes to raise awareness about the epidemic.
Erie County sees significant spike in opioid-related overdose deaths
The Erie County Medical Examiner s Office confirmed 232 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2020, compared to 156 in 2019. Author: Leanne Stuck Updated: 11:16 PM EST February 24, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein announced Wednesday that the county saw a sharp increase in overdose-related deaths in 2020.
During a virtual news conference, Dr. Burstein and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz shared data from the Erie County Medical Examiner s Office and the Opiate Epidemic Task Force, showing that the county saw a 49 percent increase in opioid-related overdose deaths in 2020.
The Erie County Medical Examiner s Office confirmed 232 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2020, with 17 cases still pending toxicology reports. In 2019, 156 opioid-related deaths were recorded in the county.