The Franklin County Coroner’s Office has seen a dramatic increase in the number of overdose deaths in the past five (5) to six (6) days. In the last seven (7) days, we have had 18 overdose deaths which makes it an average of 2.5 deaths per day. This is a much higher overdose death rate than what we have been experiencing so far in 2018. Our toxicology team screened specimens from 3/22/18 through 3/25/ 2018 and found that the majority of them are fentanyl-related. Please note, these initial screens are all preliminary results and will need to be confirmed with further testing.
Naloxone is a lifesaving tool used for opiate overdoses. The general public can obtain naloxone at any pharmacy without a prescription at a cost or with health insurance. Project DAWN sites will also provide free naloxone with a brief training. To find out more go to:
https://myfcph.org/opiatecrisis. Other distributers of naloxone can be found through the Columbus Public Health website:
https://www.columbus.gov/Templates/Detail.aspx?id=2147486631