Drug Abuse News 2016: Cincinnati Heroin Overdoses Reach 30 in One Day; Number Troubles Authorities
The war on drugs continues to rage in the US as a spike in heroin overdose numbers troubles Cincinnati, Ohio.
City police and emergency crews responded to 30 overdoses on Tuesday alone, the cause of which has yet to be found.
Troubling numbers
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The Cincinnati Police Department confirmed that most of the cases happened Tuesday evening, between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Authorities point the most number of cases to District 3, located at the city's west side.
"The Cincinnati Police Department has received preliminary information that there have been a very high number of heroin related overdoses in the area today," Lt. Steve Saunders told WLWT5. "This has been generalized on the west side of Cincinnati, but it does not mean this compound is not in other areas."
Authorities are still investigating whether or not these incidences were connected, and, if so, where a potent batch might have originated.
Meanwhile, first responders were able to save all overdosed people with Narcan.
Cincinnati PD had also issued a warning to its citizens following the alleged circulation of the drug.
In the eyes of children
Another concern for citizens of Cincinnati are the families being broken down by the dangerous drug.
Upon responding to an overdose in District 5, authorities found the victim in his car with his kid, a 6-year-old boy in tow. The father passed out at the parking lot a gas station, where the manager, Joyce Alexander, was able to calm down the boy before police arrived.
However, this was not the only case involving minors in the Cincinnati drug fiasco.
The two sons of couple Tiffany O'Neal, 29, and Roger Stewart, 35, found their parents unconscious in their basement.
The scene prompted them to run to their neighbor's house for help. Both boys were under 18.
Police found several hypodermic syringes and burnt soda cans. Two the needles still had a substance inside.
As a result, O'Neal and Stewart were charged with two counts of endangering children, one count of illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of possession of drug abuse instruments.
Not the first
Cincinnati has had a dangerous dance with heroin addiction over the past years.
Not only did it have increasing cases of overdoses since 2011—even stronger compounds were found in the city earlier this year.
Fentanyl, an opioid 100 times stronger than heroin, was discovered in the drug stream across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, as well as animal analgesic Carfentanil.
As the investigation progresses on the Tuesday's overdoses, city police encourages citizens to report any valuable information to Crime Stoppers, at 513-352-3040.
