An increase in drug overdoses in recent days prompted the Columbus and Franklin County Public Health Departments to issue an “overdose advisory” Wednesday.
In a Facebook post for Columbus Public Health, Dr. Mysheika Roberts offered advice for recreational users:
“If you use any drug, you are at risk for an overdose, because fentanyl is being mixed in with all drugs and it can be deadly. To stay safe, always have naloxone on hand; never use alone; and use fentanyl test strips.”
Free overdose-reversing naloxone and fentanyl test strips were avalaible at the Safe Point facility Wednesday, and the county Public Health Department distributed free kits to police and fire departments throughout county.
Opioids were responsible for 90% of the drug overdose deaths in the first three months of 2019 in Franklin County, according to county coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz. And fentanyl was involved in 76% of those deaths.
More resources are available on the Columbus Public Health Facebook page, or the city website.
