Health

Opioids: Turning the Tide in the Crisis

00000174-c556-d691-a376-cdd69e980000Day after day, week after week, the headlines in Northeast Ohio and across much of the country contain news of tragic loss: lives lost to opioids. It’s a problem that knows no bounds: geography, race, gender, level of education or income.The problem took on new urgency this summer as the powerful elephant sedative, Carfentanil, began hitting the streets. First responders armed with their only weapon, the overdose antidote Naloxone, have struggled to keep up with what’s become an overwhelming problem. It’s an issue that’s straining public and social resources. What has become clear is that business as usual is not going to fix the problem.WKSU news has been covering the unfolding crisis. Tuesdays during Morning Edition, the WKSU news team digs even deeper. WKSU reporters will examine what’s led us here and what might be done to turn the tide. Support for Opioids: Turning the Tide in the Crisis comes from Wayne Savings Community Bank, Kent State University Office of Continuing and Distance Education, Hometown Grocery Delivery, Mercy Medical Center, AxessPointe Community Health Center, Community Support Services, Inc., Medina County District Library and Hudson Community First.00000174-c556-d691-a376-cdd69e980001

Summit County Officials Say A New Opioid Cocktail is Not a Problem, Yet

Ideastream Public Media

Published May 8, 2017 at 7:08 PM EDT

Summit County officials are saying that a new opioid cocktail appearing in Southern Ohio is not yet a problem in Northeast Ohio.

“Gray Death” is a combination of several opiates, including heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil and a synthetic opioid called U-47700.

Cincinnati police first warned about the new drug combination in a public statement earlier this week.

Doug Smith is the medical director at the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Services Board.

“The problem with this powder is that it is a particularly potent compound, and gray death is probably a good name for it because it’s going to be very potent,. People, unfortunately, probably will die from it and obviously we would like to prevent that.”

In addition to Southern Ohio, the drug combination also been detected in Alabama and Georgia.