Heroin overdose deaths in Ohio skyrocket

AKRON, Ohio — An Ohio city is experiencing a new spike in deadly heroin overdoses.

Authorities say at least eight deaths this weekend — two on Friday and six on Saturday — in the Akron area could be from overdoses.

The medical examiner’s office is investigating.

There have also been dozens of other confirmed or possible overdoses. Police say a man was seriously burned after crashing his truck after a suspected overdose. Emergency personnel responded to apparent overdoses in restaurant drive-thrus, sidewalks and homes around the city.

Authorities suspect that the heroin responsible was laced with the painkiller fentanyl or the powerful animal tranquilizer carfentanil.

Akron police said there more than 90 overdoses and eight deaths during a July overdose spike. Carfentanil was found syringes used by some casualties of the July spike.

Heroin awareness and advocacy groups in the southern part of the state rallied on the steps of a downtown jail to demand action after a wave of overdoses hit that region.

The small rally was Sunday afternoon at the Hamilton County Justice Center.

Cincinnati Against Heroin and Heroin Control are among several groups calling on Gov. John Kasich to declare a medical state of emergency to “maximize the use of resources to support local authorities.”

Democratic state Rep. Denise Driehaus said Sunday she and some other legislators want Kasich to take action to raise awareness, coordinate efforts and add funding.

A governor’s spokeswoman says Kasich doesn’t have specific authority under Ohio law to declare a public health emergency.

Cincinnati has seen a surge in overdoses recently, including 174 reported over six days.