12/29/17 – 4:56 A.M.

2017 will go down as the worst ever for overdose deaths in Hancock County. The Courier reports the total could top 20 once the coroner’s office wraps up pending investigations. Coroner Dr. Mark Fox has confirmed 18 opioid overdose deaths so far this year and is still looking into 19 other cases. There were 15 overdose deaths in 2015 and 16 the year before.

Records show 280 people received treatment at Blanchard Valley Hospital for overdoses between January and November of this year. In all of 2016 there were 159 overdose visits to the ER.

Barb Wilhelm is the deputy health commissioner at Hancock Public Health. She says the health department is seeing a higher percentage of deaths related to synthetic forms of opioids. Those include fentanyl and carfentanil.

MORE: The Courier