COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--The Franklin County Coroner says there's been a spike in the number of overdose deaths across the area over the past week.
Dr. Anahi Ortiz says 18 people have died as a result of an overdose across the country since March 22nd, which is a much higher rate than the rest of 2018.
That amounts to an average of 2.5 per day.
Dr. Ortiz says her office's toxicology team screened specimens from the cases and found that the majority of them are fentanyl-related.
The Coroner urges anyone with an addiction problem to seek out naloxone for treatment, noting the general public can obtain it without a prescription.