This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

CLEVELAND – After at least 7 apparent fatal drug overdoses in Cuyahoga County on Saturday, the medical examiner has released a public health warning.

While Dr. Thomas Gilson indicated that there was no clear link between the 7 deaths, he is urging the public to take extreme caution. He also reiterated that while avoiding illicit drugs is the best option, the risk of a fatal overdose is greatly increased when the user is taking multiple drugs and/or has no access to a naloxone kit.

In a news release, Gilson had this to say about the warning:

“This cluster of deaths is deeply concerning. Although there is no clear link between the individuals, this number clearly raises the possibility of a very deadly drug in our community. I have briefed Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Prosecutor Tim McGinty on this development, and they both share my deep concern. Additionally, we continue to advise those struggling with addiction to take advantage of Project D.A.W.N., and to seek treatment to help them with their disease.”

All the cases in question are still under investigation and undergoing testing.

Ohio just recently enacted the Good Samaritan Law, which protects people who report potentially fatal overdoses for medical treatment.

41.49932 -81.694361