Published: June 29, 2022
LANSING, MI – Sparrow Forensic Pathology Services has released its Q1 report on drug-related deaths in the five counties in which Sparrow serves as Medical Examiner. While the report shows an 8.2 percent rise in drug-related deaths from Jan. 1 to March 31 of this year, it reveals nearly 74 percent of all drug‐related deaths were due to two or more substances.
Other key findings from Q1 include:
- 20.9% of all opioid‐related deaths also involved at least one benzodiazepine
- Cocaine‐related deaths increased by 128.6%
- Amphetamine/Methamphetamine‐related deaths increased by 61.5%
The report provides detail on each drug death and the type of drug involved. The report, and other Forensic Pathology findings, can be found at Sparrow.org/OMEReports. When you get to the page, click on “2022 Q1 Drug Report.”
As the Office of the Medical Examiner for the five counties, Sparrow is nationally accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners to perform autopsies, postmortem examinations, and on-scene forensic death investigations as an important part of the investigation process.
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Sparrow Health System is Mid-Michigan’s premier healthcare organization and includes hospitals in Lansing, Carson City, Charlotte, Ionia and St. Johns, as well as Sparrow Specialty Hospital, Physicians Health Plan, Sparrow Care Network, Sparrow Medical Group and the Michigan Athletic Club. Sparrow is affiliated with Michigan Medicine through the Sparrow Children’s Center and with Michigan State University’s three human health colleges. Through these partnerships and the dedication of our 10,000 caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and patient experience. For more information, visit Sparrow.org.