COLUMBUS – Franklin County experienced another spike in drug overdose deaths early this week, seven people dying in approximately 18 hours, according to the office of Franklin County Coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz.
Ortiz reports that the seven deaths were reported between 6:03 p.m. Monday and 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.
Toxicology tests are being conducted to determine if the deaths were linked to the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, which has contributed significantly to Ohio’s drug problem.
The illegally produced drugs fentanyl and carfentanil were involved in 71 percent of all overdose deaths in Ohio in 2017, compared with only 20 percent in 2014, according to a recent report from the Ohio Department of Health.
Ortiz said the deaths were not clustered in any area or neighborhoods, but included the Northeast Side and Westerville, the East Side and Southwest Franklin County.
Anyone who has a family member or friend who might be at risk for an overdose is encouraged to take steps to have the anti-overdose drug Naloxone available, Ortiz said. The general public can obtain naloxone at any pharmacy without a prescription at a cost or by using their health insurance.
Franklin County Public Health, along with Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided with Naloxone), will also provide free naloxone with a brief training.
The state’s annual drug overdose report released last week shows that fatal overdoses from prescription opioids was at an eight-year low and that heroin deaths in Ohio were at their lowest point in four years.
The report says there were 4,854 drug overdose deaths in 2017. The 1,540 cocaine-related overdose deaths in 2017 were a 39 percent increase over 2016.