Ingham County drug deaths remain above last year’s pace

A new report from the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Department of Forensic Pathology indicates that nearly 30 drug-related deaths occurred in the greater Lansing area between April 1 and June 30, with 23 of those deaths recorded in Ingham County. While the numbers decreased from the first three months of the year, they remain higher than during the same period last year.

Opioids were present in approximately half of the reported deaths during the second quarter. Medical examiners noted a significant increase in the presence of mitragynine, the active compound in kratom, in several cases. Four of the Ingham County deaths included kratom products in the decedents' systems.

State lawmakers have responded to the rising use of kratom with legislative action. A bill to ban the sale of kratom products passed the state House of Representatives earlier this year, while senators introduced a separate bill in September to regulate its sale. The House bill has not yet been considered by the state Senate.

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