Franklin County reports six suspected overdose deaths in 24 hours

Six people died of suspected drug overdoses in Franklin County in a single 24-hour period, prompting a public health warning that applies to residents across the county, including in Gahanna and New Albany.

The office of Franklin County Coroner Dr. Nathaniel Overmire identified the spike, and Columbus Public Health posted the warning on Instagram on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The coroner's office, Columbus Public Health and the Columbus and Franklin County Addiction Plan (CFCAP) jointly urged anyone using drugs not obtained from a pharmacy to take extra precautions, warning that street drugs can be laced with lethal substances.

WSYX ABC 6 first reported the spike on Wednesday, Sept. 23. The deaths remain under investigation, and final cause-of-death determinations are pending.

What Columbus Public Health is urging

The agency told residents not to use drugs alone and to keep naloxone, the opioid-overdose reversal medication, within reach. Anyone witnessing an overdose should call 911 immediately, the agency said.

Free naloxone is available through Columbus Public Health, Franklin County Public Health and the state program at naloxone.ohio.gov. Residents can find pickup locations or order naloxone by mail at Columbus.gov/cfcap.

County overdose trends

The spike comes after a year of declining overdose deaths in the county. Overdose deaths in Franklin County fell 29.4% in 2025, with 326 people dying that year, according to CFCAP data shared by the Central Ohio Hospital Council.

Fentanyl or fentanyl combined with other substances accounted for 78.4% of overdose deaths in calendar year 2024, the most recent year with finalized data. In 2025, men made up 72% of the county's overdose deaths, and nearly half of those who died were between 35 and 54 years old.