Wayne third in fentanyl deaths

Only Cook County, Philly had more in 2005-07 epidemic of overdoses with potent painkiller. George Hunter / The Detroit News DETROIT -- Wayne County was third in the nation in fentanyl-related deaths during the worst epidemic of fatal overdoses involving the potent painkiller, says a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From April 2005 through March 2007, a period when the CDC and the Drug Enforcement Administration set up special surveillance to study the problem, there were 230 fentanyl-related deaths in Wayne County. Cook County, which includes Chicago, led the nation during that period with 349 fentanyl deaths, while Philadelphia had 269 fatalities. There were 12 fentanyl-related deaths from April through December 2007, and one through June, according to a Wayne County Medical... [read full story]