Cuyahoga County Overdose Fatality Review 2025 Annual Report
The Cuyahoga County Overdose Fatality Review (CCOFR), co-coordinated by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office and Population Health service area of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, reviews exemplar overdose decedent cases in-depth to identify missed intervention opportunities and facilitate the implementation of public health recommendations to reduce future fatalities.
Fifty-two overdose fatalities in 2025 were reviewed by the CCOFR. Themes identified included non-fentanyl related overdoses, transgender decedents, next of kin interviews, overdose prevention touchpoints, cocaine (only) listed in the cause of death, Hispanic decedents and female decedents with trauma. Based on cases reviewed,
- Most decedents had a known history of substance use disorder (SUD) or diagnosis.
- Most decedents had co-occurring pain and SUD.
- Most decedents had co-occurring mental health condition(s) and SUD.
- Some decedents had a known emergency department (ED) visit for withdrawal.
- Most decedents appeared to be using drugs while alone.
- More than half of decedents were known to have criminal justice and/or law enforcement encounters that resulted in incarceration.
Recommendations of the committee include advocating for more educational opportunities for treatment providers on specific topics, advocating for peer support programs, and educating people who use drugs or are in recovery on the decreased tolerance following periods of sobriety.
The full CCOFR 20025 Annual Report, among other overdose data reports, are accessible here: https://ccbh.net/overdose-data-dashboard/
