Although the number of drug overdose deaths in Isabella County dropped in 2017 compared to the two previous years, every one of the eight ruled accidental involved an opioid.
An additional ninth drug overdose was ruled the suicide of a 36-year-old woman and involved a mix of two drugs; dicyclomine or Bentyl, often used to treat irritable bowel syndrome and gabapentin or Neurontin, often used to treat partial seizures and neuropathic pain.
Not one of the eight remaining drug deaths involved heroin itself, though all involved at least one opioid and all but one death was attributed to a combination of two or more drugs, according to an annual report from the Sparrow Medical Examiner’s Office that provides services to Isabella County.
Four of the eight —three men and one woman— had consumed Fentanyl before dying in 2017, the most common drug among those discovered by medical examiners last year.
In recent years as the opioid epidemic continues to take it’s toll across the country and in mid-Michigan, officials have warned of <URL destination="http://bit.ly/2lbnfrh">Fentanyl’s deadly potency; it is 80 times more potent than morphine and 40 times more powerful than heroin.
Related: Heroin additives deadly</URL>
Even more potent than Fentanyl —100 times so— Carfentanil was discovered mixed with another opioid as well as an anxiety medication in a 27-year-old man who died of a drug overdose in Isabella County last year.
The only accidental drug death of the eight total that inovled just one substance, a 23-year-old man died of a methadone overdose last year.
Other opioids contributing to overdose deaths in Isabella County last year include hydrocodone and tramadol.
Benzodiazepines —drugs that are often used to treat anxiety or insomnia— were found alongside opioids in three of the eight deaths.
Alprazolam, commonly known by the brand name Xanax, were among the drugs discovered in the systems of two men —27 and 40-years-old— as well as a 48-year-old woman.
As the country works to address the opioid epidemic, some experts point to Benzodiazepines —”benzos”— as the next addiction crisis; the National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that 30 percent of opioid overdose deaths nationally also involve a benzodiazepine.
Other benzodiazepines found in 2017 in Isabella County include diazepam (Valium) and clonazepam (Klonopin).
While opioids and benzodiazepines act as sedatives, stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine were discovered one time each in 2017 drug overdose deaths in the county.
Alcohol was among the intoxicants in two of the eight accidental deaths; two men, ages 25 and 35-years-old.
Overall, the nine overdose deaths in 2017 marked a 35 percent drop compared to the two years previous.
All nine people were between 23 and 54 years old with a median age of 39.
Similar to the last four years, demographics of drug overdose deaths were nearly evenly split between gender and ethnicity.
In total five men and four women died from drug intoxication; five were white and four were Native American, according to the medical examiner’s report.