WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – In Trumbull County, January saw 73 overdoses. February had 45. And through the first 15 days of March, 82 people overdosed — ten of whom died.
Dominic Mararri, who used to be addicted to heroin, now works in public relations for the Warren Family Mission. The past two weeks’ overdoses have touched him personally — he knew two of the people who passed away.
“I know another three people that…by the grace of God, they didn’t pass away,” he said.
Of the 82 overdoses, 29 of them occurred in northeast Warren and part of Champion (zip code 44483). Eleven of the overdoses happened in southeast Warren and Howland (zip code 44484).
No one quite knows why 44483 has more overdoses than any other zip code. The most logical explanation given is that area has several businesses and parking lots.
People will often buy their drugs in the parking lots. In dire need of a fix, they shoot up immediately and overdose.
Here is some of the data from the 82 overdoses so far this month:
- 56 men, 26 women
- Ages 1 to 63 years old
- 33 were in their 20s
- 16 were over 50 years old
- 5 were over 60 years old
- 10 died
As far as why it’s so bad now, those in the know can only guess.
“Probably, you know, just a large quantity of drugs that maybe got brought in and maybe we’re just seeing the actual tip of the iceberg,” Mararri said. “Until that supply runs out, I don’t know that personally, that’s what my thoughts would be.”
April Caraway, with the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board, said much of what people are ingesting is pure fentanyl — a lot stronger than heroin.
Jeff Orr, commander of the task force that deals with drugs, said the person supplying them hasn’t been arrested because investigators aren’t sure who it is. He said if they knew, they’d be putting that person in jail.For more on the drug epidemic in our Valley, visit the Heroin Crisis section on WKBN.com.
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