COLUMBUS – The coroner in Franklin County and her colleague in another Ohio city are raising new warnings following a spike in drug overdose deaths.
Dr. Anahi Ortiz reported nine overdose deaths in 48 hours between Saturday and Monday, including six in slightly more than 12 hours between 9:00 Monday morning and 9:48 p.m.
Her office’s toxicology team is conducting initial testing to confirm if the deaths were fentanyl-related.
Ortiz says residents with family or friends at risk for overdoses should have the anti-overdose antidote Naloxone available for them.
Ten overdose deaths were reported through Wednesday in Montgomery County, which is home to Dayton. That number compares with a total of 18 deaths in all of June.
Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger says there’s a strong likelihood that street drugs, including cocaine, may be laced with fentanyl or other fatal chemicals.
Ohio saw a record 4,854 unintentional fatal overdoses in 2017, the most recent year for which statewide data is available.