Various agencies in the Cincinnati area, including law enforcement, are straining to respond to a recent increase in overdoses, according to a report published by NPR.
Just last month, the city was hit by 174 overdoses in six days, according to the article. Authorities have tied overdoses to carfentanil, an elephant tranquilizer that's 10,000 times more powerful than morphine.
The rate of overdoses in the Cincinnati area has dropped to 20 to 25 overdoses a day, on average, since the 174 overdoses were reported over six days in August, according to the report, which cites information from Hamilton County (Ohio)'s heroin task force. According to the report, police describe the rate of overdoses as the new normal.
Carfentanil has only been confirmed in Ohio and Kentucky, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, though other states are starting to test for it.