A sudden spike in possible overdose deaths in Hamilton County has officials investigating and alerting the public.
Twelve people are suspected of dying from overdoses between Friday, May 22 and Tuesday, May 26, according to the Hamilton County Office of Addiction Response. They represent a major jump in deaths, according to Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan.
Synan said 12 people died in May 2025. As of May 27 this year, he said, that number has nearly doubled, with 23 people dead from suspected overdoses.
Over two people died in one place, Synan said, signaling they may have been using together.
That sets off flags for officials about whether nontypical users have been using a drug that is laced with another one that they are unaware of, he said. That happened in 2017 when a string of cocaine users had overdosed and died because their drugs were laced with fentanyl.
“We won’t know exactly what caused this until the coroner’s office finalizes testing,” Synan said.
He also said the drugs used may have been orphines, a class new of opioids 10 times more potent than fentanyl that Cincinnati first saw in August 2025. He also said the drugs could have been combination “cocktails.”
Synan encouraged everyone to use harm reduction materials, such as carrying the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone and using drug test strips, even as overdose deaths have dropped significantly in the region.
“Although we made great strides,” Synan said, “we’re not out of the woods.”
Drug test strips and information about recovery services are available at Hamilton County Public Health’s website or by phone at 513-316-7725.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 12 suspected overdose deaths in days raise alarms in Hamilton County
Reporting by Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
