Overdose crisis appears to ebb

An unprecedented jump in drug overdoses in the Cincinnati area seems to be leveling off, although they are still at higher than normal levels, after a stunning wave last week, authorities said.

Newtown Police Chief Thomas Synan said heroin overdoses dropped to 10 to 15 a day over the weekend. Just Friday, emergency rooms reported 174 overdoses over six days, for an average of 29 a day, although Synan said some probably were not from heroin. He said 20 to 25 overdoses in a week would be more typical.

He said authorities have samples of heroin that was being sold and will test it, hoping to determine the source. They suspect it was mixed with another drug, such as the powerful painkiller fentanyl.