Home News Franklin County Reports Five Overdoses in 24 Hours

Franklin County Reports Five Overdoses in 24 Hours

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FRANKLIN – Franklin County Coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz is reporting five people died from overdoses in 24 hours.

The Doctor who is an advocate for getting help from people who struggle with addiction and mental health is pleading with people to use resources available.

“For those who need help with treatment for addiction: findtreatment.gov. For those looking for naloxone, test strips: Central Ohio Harm Reduction here on Facebook. For those seeking help dealing with mental health crisis please reach out to Netcare: 614 276 CARE or the Suicide Lifeline: 800-273-8255. Or just reach out to someone you know for help, please,” said the Doctor.

Franklin county is not the only place that overdose epidemic has struck, Southern Ohio is rated very high in overdoses also.

Counties in Southern Ohio who topped the overdose rate were Fayette, Scioto, Ross, and Gallia counties. Pickaway county rated at 10.77

The analysis by Yost’s Scientific Committee on Opioid Prevention and Education (SCOPE) found the death rate in Ohio from opioid overdose at 11.01 per 100,000 population in the second quarter of 2020 – the  highest rate in 10 years. The previous 10-year high was in the first quarter of 2017 at 10.87 opioid overdoses per 100,000 population.“Opioid overdoses might have taken a backseat in our minds last year because of COVID-19, but make no mistake: Ohioans are dying at a devastating rate because of opioid overdoses,” Yost said, urging vigilance about how prescription drugs are stored and encouraging people to seek medical care in the event of an overdose – despite concerns about COVID-19.Surprisingly, the record-setting spike came after Ohio experienced a significant drop in its opioid-related death rate, which had fallen to between 6 and 8 overdose deaths per 100,000 people over the prior 24-month period.“This is alarming data, and while COVID has rightly captured our attention, we cannot lose sight of the threat the opioid epidemic brings to all areas of Ohio,” Yost said.The hardest hit counties in the second quarter of 2020 were Scioto (35.22), Fayette (20.67) and Franklin (19.43).

The analysis, which found an increase of deaths in 67 percent of Ohio’s counties, can be found here.

The data is gathered by the Ohio Department of Health, which collects opioid overdose numbers. The data may lag by up to six months. 

Addiction to opioids can start with a prescription being brought inside the home. Yost’s office has released guidelines on how to safely store prescription drugs inside your residence.

Unsure about the signs of opioid abuse or addiction? More info can be found here.