MANSFIELD — Richland County Commissioner Cliff Mears called it the “saddest presentation” he’s heard since taking office two years ago.
Richland County Coroner’s Office Chief Investigator Bob Ball and administrative assistant Randi Ritchie on Thursday detailed for commissioners the rising number of suicides and drug overdose deaths in the county since 2020.
The increases are likely attributable to stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase of illegal drugs entering the country across the country’s southern border, especially fentanyl, a synthetic opioid said to be 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
Ritchie told commissioners there were 16 suicides in Richland County in 2020 and 23 in 2021. She said there eight in the first two months of 2022, which would result in 48 by the end of the year at that pace.
The county had 64 confirmed overdose deaths in 2020 and 72 in 2021. Ritchie said they had two OD deaths in the first two months of the year.
“In 2022, we are on the same path of increases in drug overdoses. As of March 2, we only have two confirmed overdoses due to the fact that we are awaiting autopsy results on them and it takes on average 10 to 12 weeks for us to get results back,” she said.
Ball told commissioners he believes many of the overdose deaths could be suicides by residents who had just given up the fight against drug use and addiction.
“Unless we find a suicide note, though, we can’t confirm it,” he said.
Ball said one recent suicide was by a woman who killed herself by injecting insulin.
“She was a non-insulin patient. She injected insulin, which went straight to her heart,” he said. “We had to research that one and were kind of shocked. I haven’t seen that in 20 years.”
Most of the suicides were done using firearms, though there also self-inflicted deaths by hanging, jumping from buildings, carbon monoxide poisoning, stabbing and someone who drove a vehicle under a tow truck, according to Richter.
Ball and Richter said the coroner’s office works with 33 Forever Inc., the local NAMI office and the Richland County Mental Health Board to ensure support for family members who lose loved ones to suicide.
“We are very thankful to have these organizations that are giving people who suffer with mental illness the help that they need, and the ability to be able to follow up our families,” Richter said.
Fentanyl mixed in with other drugs like cocaine, Percocet, marijuana and heroin is helping fuel overdose deaths, according to Ball, who said an amount of the synthetic painkiller equal to a pinhead can lead to death.
Ball described a recent “Narcan party,” during which four participants used illegal drugs and a fifth was there to revive them with Narcan if necessary. One of the people could not be revived and died, he said.
“We end up with one person dead and three in the hospital,” he said.
Ball said fentanyl affects the respiratory function portion of the brain, leading to cardiac arrest and death within minutes. When the drug is “laced” into other drugs, the user may not even be aware it’s there, he said.
He estimated that “99.9 percent” of local drug overdose deaths are related to fentanyl.
Ball and Ritchie credited the work of Tony Tambasco, director of the Mansfield Police Department’s forensic science laboratory, for his assistance in identifying drugs in the community.
“This community is blessed to have Tony Tambasco working in it,” Ball said.
