The number of heroin overdoses in public places has been rising the past three years in Ohio, reports the Columbus Dispatch. Statistics for medics administering Narcan for drug overdoses show that 38 percent of of those overdoses from January to May occurred in public places, up from 33 percent in 2015. Streets were the most common public place for overdoses, followed by parking lots. Medics have been called to overdoses in schools, nursing facilities, grocery stores, movie theaters, restaurants and places of worship, records show. One case was discovered when a one-year-old boy crawled out of a women’s restroom in a convenience store.
Sometimes addicts use heroin as soon as they have it in their hands, said Columbus Fire Assistant Chief Jim Davis. There’s also another line of thinking when it comes to using in public. “If they can’t use with a friend, then the next best alternative would be some place they’re going to be found quicker,” he said. “(Overdosing) in public places, with kids in the car with them — to the normal healthy person, there’s no rhyme or reason to it.” An overdose case near the Ohio State University campus drew national attention. On March 20, paramedics found Cody Derby, 26, unconscious in a theater. Derby was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from an overdose of heroin and cocaine. “We’ve identified who we think the dealer is. We’ve been working on that case. Hopefully in the near future, we’ll be able to charge someone,” said Franklin County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Rick Minerd.