Coroner reports uptick in fatal overdoses

Seven people died from apparent drug overdoses across Franklin County over an 18-hour period this week, prompting an alert from the county coroner’s office.

The deaths occurred between 6 p.m. Monday and 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to a news release from the coroner’s office. Toxicology tests will determine whether the deaths were fentanylrelated, as many overdoses have been recently.

One of the deaths occurred in Westerville; the other six were in various neighborhoods across Columbus. Three were on the North Side, with the others on the East, South and Southwest sides.

The surge of overdose deaths led Columbus Public Health to hold a conference call Tuesday among community leaders, including law enforcement, fire, health and drug-addiction professionals.

Franklin County has what is called an Opioid Overdose Surge Notification Process, which involves agencies monitoring the drug situation in the community.

The Columbus Division of Fire had 11 Narcan runs in a 24-hour period Monday through Tuesday, said Battalion Chief Steve Martin. The city averages about 8.6 runs a day using the overdose-reversal drug.

Martin said the Fire Division has noticed that there are more overdoses around the first of the month, when many people get paid by their employers, Social Security, public assistance and by other sources.

“People have money in their pocket that they may not have had at the end of the month,” Martin said.

This is the second time recently that there has been an alert issued by the coroner’s office over a sudden surge in overdose deaths.

During a 24-hour period Sept. 4-5, five people died from drug overdoses on the city’s West and South sides. Within a one-week period from late August into early September, there were 18 overdose deaths.

The South Side, and the Hilltop and Franklinton neighborhoods on the West Side, have seen the highest incidence of drug overdose deaths in recent years, said Andrew Moss, director of the Maryhaven Addiction Stabilization Center in Columbus.

Franklin County residents with family or friends that might be at risk for an overdose are urged to have naloxone - the generic name for Narcan - available. The general public can obtain naloxone at any pharmacy without a prescription.