No areas immune to drug overdoses
Health Department report indicates problem widespread
Health Commissioner Krista Wasowski gave county commissioners an update on what the Health Department was doing to monitor area resident who may have come in contact with someone infected with the deadly Ebola virus. Photo by GLENN WOJCIAK
MEDINA – Drug overdoses affected all areas of the county, male and female, and both young and old in 2016 according to new data released by the Medina County Health Department.
The Health Department’s 2016 annual report released March 6 indicates there were 537 emergency room visits related to drug overdoses in Medina County last year. The victims were 284 males and 243 females.
Thirteen of those treated were 65 or older and 171 were under the age of 25. The highest percentage (33 percent) of overdose victims in Medina County last year were between the ages of 25 and 34 and 21 percent (112) were between the ages of 35 and 49. Twelve percent (67) were between the ages of 50 and 64.
Brunswick, Medina and Wadsworth, the most densely populated areas of the county, accounted for most of the overdose victims last year. Brunswick-area residents accounted for 178 of those overdoses; Medina, 159; and Wadsworth, 94.
However, the Health Department also compared the number of overdoses that occurred for every 1,000 people living in a given area. That rate of overdoses was highest in the Chippewa Lake area. The Health Department found 16 overdoses among Chippewa Lake residents, or 3.7 per every 1,000 people there.
The next highest rate of drug overdoses (2.6) occurred in Lodi. The rate in Litchfield was 2.2 percent, although only 14 drug overdoses occurred among Litchfield residents.
The lowest rates of overdoses were 0.8 in Hinckley and 1.1 in Seville. However, Spencer had fewer than 10 overdoses reported all year and did not have a rate calculated for that area.
The problem of drug addiction has become the focus of numerous organizations in recent years and last month the Health Department and Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Board launched a new task force to address the issue.
However, drug overdoses were not the only subject addressed in the Health Department’s annual report.
The report listed the leading causes of death in the county last year as heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, unintentional injuries and stroke. It also recorded the births of 1,798 new county residents last year.
The report also listed 737 cases of communicable diseases reported in the county last year. The most common by far were 344 cases of chlamydia infections. The next most common communicable disease reported last year was hepatitis C with 171 cases.
Less common diseases occurring in the county in 2016 included two cases of E-coli, Legionnaires’ disease (five cases), mumps (one), and tuberculosis (two).
Health Commissioner Krista Wasowski also noted her agency established a health center in 2016 that provides primary medical and dental care for any resident of Medina County. The Health Center is located with other Health Department offices at 4800 Ledgewood Drive in Medina.
The Health Department operated on a budget of $6.7 million last year. Most revenue for operations came from taxes and client fees and contracts. Taxes generated almost $3 million in revenue and so did the combination of client fees and contracts.
The Health Department’s 2016 annual report released March 6 indicates there were 537 emergency room visits related to drug overdoses in Medina County last year. The victims were 284 males and 243 females.
Thirteen of those treated were 65 or older and 171 were under the age of 25. The highest percentage (33 percent) of overdose victims in Medina County last year were between the ages of 25 and 34 and 21 percent (112) were between the ages of 35 and 49. Twelve percent (67) were between the ages of 50 and 64.
Brunswick, Medina and Wadsworth, the most densely populated areas of the county, accounted for most of the overdose victims last year. Brunswick-area residents accounted for 178 of those overdoses; Medina, 159; and Wadsworth, 94.
However, the Health Department also compared the number of overdoses that occurred for every 1,000 people living in a given area. That rate of overdoses was highest in the Chippewa Lake area. The Health Department found 16 overdoses among Chippewa Lake residents, or 3.7 per every 1,000 people there.
The next highest rate of drug overdoses (2.6) occurred in Lodi. The rate in Litchfield was 2.2 percent, although only 14 drug overdoses occurred among Litchfield residents.
The lowest rates of overdoses were 0.8 in Hinckley and 1.1 in Seville. However, Spencer had fewer than 10 overdoses reported all year and did not have a rate calculated for that area.
The problem of drug addiction has become the focus of numerous organizations in recent years and last month the Health Department and Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Board launched a new task force to address the issue.
However, drug overdoses were not the only subject addressed in the Health Department’s annual report.
The report listed the leading causes of death in the county last year as heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, unintentional injuries and stroke. It also recorded the births of 1,798 new county residents last year.
The report also listed 737 cases of communicable diseases reported in the county last year. The most common by far were 344 cases of chlamydia infections. The next most common communicable disease reported last year was hepatitis C with 171 cases.
Less common diseases occurring in the county in 2016 included two cases of E-coli, Legionnaires’ disease (five cases), mumps (one), and tuberculosis (two).
Health Commissioner Krista Wasowski also noted her agency established a health center in 2016 that provides primary medical and dental care for any resident of Medina County. The Health Center is located with other Health Department offices at 4800 Ledgewood Drive in Medina.
The Health Department operated on a budget of $6.7 million last year. Most revenue for operations came from taxes and client fees and contracts. Taxes generated almost $3 million in revenue and so did the combination of client fees and contracts.