Every unintentional cocaine-related overdose death recorded by the Cuyahoga County medical examiner between 2014 and 2024, 1,150 in all, was classified by whether fentanyl was also detected. Fentanyl was present in 74.6% of them. Those with fentanyl were younger White men, while cocaine-only deaths were concentrated among Black men over 45.
Why it is interesting: Two demographically distinct populations sit inside one cause-of-death label, and the fentanyl supply has absorbed most of the stimulant overdose burden.