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.