The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office (CCMEO) has started a trial drug testing program to better understand illegal drug use and enhance public health initiatives. Syringes from syringe service programs (SSP) such as The Centers and the MetroHealth System are the program’s primary focus. The program is being carried out in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) and Case Western Reserve University’s Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, according to the official Cuyahoga County website.
More than 120 syringes have been gathered and examined since the program’s launch in August. By doing this, the CCMEO and its partners want to better understand the substances used by people, whose health is just as important even if they are frequently on the outskirts of social and healthcare systems. The program also relays test findings to the SSP participants, enabling them with possibly life-saving information while identifying the narcotics found in their illegal supply.
“This program will provide valuable information to combat the overdose fatalities of the opioid epidemic,” Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson told Cuyahoga County News, underscoring the program’s importance in the fight against the opioid crisis. Dr. Gilson asserts that by recognizing these trends, more effective public health measures to lower overdose mortality can be implemented. This helps close the gap between those who regrettably die from overdoses and those who continue despite their near-death experience.
Overdose Data to Action (OD2A): Limiting Overdose via Collaborative Action in Localities (OD2A: LOCAL), a CDC cooperative agreement, provides funding for the program. This initiative was given to the CCBH with the primary goal of assisting 40 city, county, and territorial health departments. By supporting an environment where data directly informs action and where policy follows the lead of empathy and empiricism, participation in the OD2A: LOCAL program assists the CCBH in addressing and mitigating the effects of overdoses within communities.
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