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2021 El Paso Co. drug-related death report shows fentanyl deaths more than doubled

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EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The El Paso County Coroner's Office released new data on drug-related deaths, including maps indicating some of the "hotspots" for fentanyl deaths in the county.

The El Paso County Coroner's Office 2021 Drug Related Death Data shows between 2019 and 2021, El Paso County saw a 75% increase in drug-related death. Broken down, 227 people died from accidental drug overdoses and that number was largely driven by fentanyl.

According to data, the number of fentanyl deaths more than doubled, going from 47 to 99, between 2020 and 2021. Additionally, the coroner's office says there were two fentanyl-related suicides in 2021, bringing the total lives lost to fentanyl to 101.

The coroner says what's so concerning about the fentanyl overdose deaths is that the average age of fentanyl deaths was younger than all other drug-related deaths by about 12 years.

In 2021, the coroner's office saw five children lost to fentanyl, ages 1, 5, 15, and two 17-year-olds. According to the report, "this shift to a younger population is due in part to the current pill form that is easily trafficked and ingested, its widespread contamination of other drugs of abuse, its high toxicity even in small amounts, and its pervasiveness in the community, exposing even toddlers to fentanyl."

The coroner's office says in 55% of deaths, fentanyl was present with other drugs of abuse, suggesting contamination of other drugs with fentanyl.

Fentanyl deaths heat map based on location

According to the report, the largest location for fentanyl deaths in 2021 was near Highway 24 and Academy Blvd.

There's another "hotspot" along I-25, near Palmer Park.

The coroner's office also shared the following map, which classifies overdoses by zip codes. According to the map, there were 14 fentanyl deaths in 2021 along Highway 24 and Academy.

Zipcode cluster map of fentanyl deaths

The Stratton Meadows neighborhoods, around the 80903 zip code, saw 11. Southern zip codes, like the Fort Carson area, had 11 deaths.

The coroner's office says while the maps aren't corrected for population, they hope to use the maps to focus on education and outreach to potential victims.

According to the report, if the trends continue through the first quarter of 2022, El Paso County is set to eclipse last year's total with more than 100 deaths. Two minors have already died this year to date.

Read the full report here.

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