Overdose Under Investigation In Avon Lake

AVON LAKE, OH — A 21-year-old overdosed in Avon Lake on May 27, according to police reports.

Officers were called to an apartment complex at 8:30 p.m. They found the man in distress. Paramedics arrived and gave the man first aid, police said.

The 21-year-old was ultimately taken to a hospital for further treatment, according to police.

Opioid overdose deaths have been spiking across Ohio in 2021, though the surge in new overdoses started in 2020.

During the second quarter of 2020, Ohio's death rate from opioid overdoses jumped to 11.01 per 100,000 people — the highest rate seen in a decade. The previous 10-year high was in the first quarter of 2017, when opioid overdoses effected 10.87 people per 100,000.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost urged Ohioans to seek medical care in the event of an overdose, despite concerns about COVID-19. He also asked Ohioans to be vigilant about how they store prescription medications.

Many opioid addictions begin at home. Yost's office released guidelines for properly storing medications, including:

• Do not share medication
• Track usage of pills to prevent pilfering
• Lock up addictive prescriptions
• Store prescriptions in a high location, to keep them out of reach of children