Trumbull County records 189 overdoses in March

Staff report

WARREN

Trumbull County in March recorded the highest number of opioid overdoses in one month, according to the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board.

Statistics provided by the board said there were 189 heroin overdoses in March in the county, far surpassing the 73 in January and 45 in February.

The board said unofficially 39 people died from overdoses so far this year, with 26 of those deaths in March and eight others since April 1.

Eric Ungaro, a teacher at Howland High School and a Poland Township trustee, lost his brother to an overdose in 2012 and has since become an advocate for increasing awareness and reducing stigma about overdoses.

Now that most people are aware of the issue, he said the next step is figuring out how to stop it.

“It’s just not slowing down,” Ungaro said. “It’s everywhere. It’s obviously not just Trumbull County.”

Ungaro taught in Youngs- Youngstown schools in the ’90s during the crack epidemic, and said it seemed like the schools were able to help. He’s hoping in his role as a teacher, educating students will help to solve the problem.

“I think from an educational standpoint, you’ve got to get in the schools,” Ungaro said. “I’m not saying we’re at the point of no return, but we’ve got to break the cycle at some point.”

Read more about the situation in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.