Cuyahoga County reports 40 suspected overdose deaths in five weeks

In a Nov. 6 public-health alert, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson reported 40 suspected overdose deaths over five weeks spanning October and November 2026. Seventeen decedents were Black, or 42.5% of the reported total. The county said most preliminary drug screenings were positive for cocaine and about half also included fentanyl; the screenings are not final determinations of cause of death.

The countywide count covers Cuyahoga County, Ohio, including Cleveland, and is not a Cleveland-only tally. Forty deaths over five weeks averages eight a week, but the alert gives no comparable earlier five-week count to measure the increase. The county said fentanyl-related overdose deaths had declined over recent years and characterized cocaine as now driving deaths; the alert gave no numerical comparison. Preliminary screening results do not establish that cocaine caused these deaths.

The alert advises people who use drugs and those supporting them to keep naloxone and fentanyl test strips available, avoid using drugs alone, make a harm-reduction plan and seek treatment; it says to call 911 in an emergency. The Medical Examiner’s Office said it would continue reviewing its data and information from community partners to assess whether the increase was continuing. The alert provides guidance, not a new mandate or service.