Coroner releases stats for first quarter of 2024

Kim Dunlap, Kokomo Tribune, Ind.
·2 min read

May 23—There have been four accidental drug overdoses during the first quarter of 2024 — Jan. 1 through March 31.

And while that's four too many, Howard County Coroner Steve Seele said that number is down seven from this time last year.

In fact, Howard County has become more "in line" with the state averages for overdose deaths over the year, Seele stated in a Howard County Coroner's Office media release detailing statistics from the first quarter of 2024.

"This is a welcomed improvement over years past," Seele wrote, "but just reflects the first quarter of 2024."

Of those four confirmed drug overdoses, Seele noted two involved methamphetamine, one involved cocaine, one involved fentanyl and one involved protonitazene, which is an opiod.

Protonitazene is approximately three times more potent than fentanyl, according to Seele, and it's one of several narcotics categorized as "nitazene" drugs.

"They are not controlled substances and have no approval for medical use," Seele said in the release. "On the street, in some areas, it has been sold under the disguise of ketamine, which is a dissociative anesthetic used in the medical setting and is a schedule III-controlled substance, but it is not an opioid.

"Drug overdose deaths continue to be a major problem in the United States," he said. "A major portion of overdose deaths are attributable to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. However, the potential abuse of nitazene compounds is very significant given the fact that they can be several times more potent than heroin and fentanyl. Don't trust a drug dealer. They are not your friends and do not have your best interest at heart, only your wallet."

Along with drug overdoses, the rest of the 51 death investigations conducted by the coroner's office through the first quarter of 2024 included 37 deaths due to natural causes; four deaths by suicides; three due to fall-related injury; two due to weather exposure; and one due to aspiration, resulting in choking.

There were also 20 autopsies conducted by a board-certified forensic pathologist and 21 toxicology studies done, per the release, at a total cost of $50,948 to the county.