Researchers Vaishali S. Deo, Daniel J. Flannery and Sarah E. Fulton, all from the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, published an article with Manreet K. Bhullar and Thomas P. Gilson of the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office on Nov. 15. Titled Need to Rethink Harm Reduction for People Using Drugs Alone to Reduce Overdose Fatalities, the article was published in the journal Substance Use and Misuse.
The study analyzed overdose mortality data from the Medical Examiner’s Office to examine characteristics (demographics, injury characteristics, EMS response, naloxone administration) of overdose decedents who died using drugs alone. The study’s findings can help inform public health interventions that would be effective in reducing overdose mortality among people using drugs alone.
