![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2023\/04\/Arianna-SP-Title-Card.png\" "\\"Arianna")
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>Fentanyl: The New Public Health Crisis<\/b><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFentanyl is the leading drug attributed to overdose deaths in Columbus due to its high potency and common occurrence in recreational street drugs. What The Lantern has found is that fentanyl related overdose deaths affect every Columbus community, including the University District.<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tArianna Smith<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nPatricia B. Miller Special Projects Editor<\/em><\/em><\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tHelping one person with addiction helps the entire community of loved ones connected to them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThat\u2019s what Adam Ball, a Columbus Division of Police officer who lost his father to addiction, said. Ball said if his father, who he declined to name, received treatment for his addiction, it would have impacted everyone close to him, especially himself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\u201cWhen I look at the end of the year, and it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, we engaged with over such and such thousands, but we only got 400-500 into treatment, and then I think in my head, \u2018Times that by 60, think about the thousands of lives we changed because we got one person into treatment,\u2019 and it kind of makes you rethink your approach to it,\u201d Ball said.<\/span><\/p>\nAs an officer on a team dedicated to responding to addiction and drug-related emergencies, Ball said he takes a similar approach when fighting against overdose deaths in Columbus communities, including the University District.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nRecreational street drugs favored by college students have always been a concern, but recently it\u2019s grown to be a public health crisis because they are now often laced with a deadly substance: fentanyl.<\/span><\/p>\nFentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease and Contro<\/span>l.<\/span> It is often added to other drugs because it makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2023\/04\/smaller.png\" "\\"smaller\\"")
<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tInformation about fentanyl handed out during a workshop on drug and alcohol prevention during the Resource Fair at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center in Dallas on Saturday, April 1, 2023.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nJuan Figueroa via TNS<\/span><\/h6><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tAccording to <\/span>the CDC<\/span><\/a>, there were 5,204 overdose deaths in Ohio in 2020 out of a total 91,799 nationwide \u2014 the third most of any state \u2014\u00a0and about 5.7 percent of the total overdose deaths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAccording to the <\/span>Columbus Franklin County Addiction plan<\/span><\/a>, 803 of the total 5,204 overdose deaths were in Franklin County. This number decreased to 707 in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\nOver the past three months, The Lantern spoke with public health officials, law enforcement, Ohio State officials and students to understand the dangers of illicit drug use. These drugs include \u2014 but are not limited to \u2014 Adderall, cocaine, crack and opiates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nFentanyl was listed as the key cause of the overdose <\/span>deaths of two Ohio State students<\/span><\/a> \u2014 <\/span>Jessica Lopez and Tiffany Iler \u2014 <\/span>in May 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAndrea Boxill, <\/span>Columbus Public Health administrator for addiction services, <\/span>said fentanyl is what has really increased overdose deaths across the state and nation as a whole.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAlison Miller, program manager of the Opioid Use Disorder Program at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, said the center sees accidental overdoses frequently in the University District from drugs patients didn\u2019t know were laced with fentanyl. <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBall emphasized that drugs are an issue everywhere, including the University District.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s not a very popular view from the university, that drugs exist and are around, but they do,\u201d Ball said. \u201cThey exist in every single neighborhood. No one\u2019s immune to it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nLt. Charles Waldenga, an officer within Columbus Police\u2019s mental health\/addiction services section, said drug overdoses are a public health issue affecting the quality of life for everyone in the city.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWhat it\u2019s gonna see, as we dive into this more, opioids and overdoses and even unintentional ones from other things related, it\u2019s become a problem,\u201d <\/span>Waldenga said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nOhio is the seventh-most populated state, but experienced a disproportionate amount of overdose deaths in 2020 when compared to its population size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAccording to the <\/span>CDC<\/span><\/a>, the overdose death count in Ohio decreased to 4,999 in 2022, compared to 5,420 in 2021 \u2014 a 7.77 percent decrease in overdose deaths.<\/span><\/p>\nAccording to 2020 data from the <\/span>Ohio Department of Health<\/span><\/a> on drug overdoses, fentanyl accounted for eight out of every 10 overdose deaths in Ohio.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201c<\/span>That person that was taking that cocaine, probably did not realize that they were also ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl,<\/span>\u201d Waldenga said. <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\u201cThat person that was taking that cocaine, probably did not realize that they were also ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl, so that\u2019s been a big thing,\u201d Waldenga said.<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWaldenga and Ball are members of the Rapid Response Emergency and Addiction Team,<\/span> which actively uses prevention and harm reduction methods such as the distribution of fentanyl test strips, education on how to properly administer Narcan to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and the supply of Narcan to the majority of Columbus police officers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIn Franklin County, Boxill said the number of overdose-related deaths are slightly decreasing.<\/span><\/p>\nColumbus Fire Captain and RREACT team co-founder Matt Parrish <\/span>said <\/span>the team has contributed to the decline through its outreach, distribution of Narcan, CPR training and more.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThose numbers are really bad for 2020, but the good thing is we\u2019ve seen after the pandemic kind of slowed, the pandemic really exacerbated things, we\u2019ve seen the fatal overdoses start to decline significantly,\u201d Parrish said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nJust how many Ohio State students are included among overdose statistics, fatal and non-fatal, is not clear.<\/span><\/p>\nBall said whether they have had individuals bring in their drugs or they took home fentanyl test strips to test their drugs, the result was always the same.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201c<\/span>Every single time we\u2019ve seen somebody test their dope, it's been positive for fentanyl, every single time<\/span>,\u201d Ball said.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\u201cEvery single time we\u2019ve seen somebody test their dope, it's been positive for fentanyl, every single time,\u201d Ball said.<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tStudents<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBoxill said typical overdoses are those in which an individual takes too much of a specific drug, but recent events in Columbus were different \u2014 these were cases of fentanyl-laced drugs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019re talking about college students who took a pill from a friend thinking they were going to have an all-nighter, whether that was to party or to study, and it turned out to be a fake pill that was pure fentanyl,\u201d Boxill said.<\/span><\/p>\nWaldenga said students may face situations where they are offered illicit drugs and their risk of overdosing is much higher because they have no tolerance to fentanyl.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cNot only are they physically not ready for it, the thing they\u2019re going to be ingesting is also exponentially more risky then what they thought they were taking,\u201d Waldenga said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIsaac Toliver, Columbus Fire Lieutenant and RREACT team supervisor, said for any illegal drug, especially pressed pills, students have to assume they\u2019re laced with fentanyl.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2023\/04\/US-NEWS-USMEXICO-PHARMACIES-DEATHS-2-LA.jpg\" "\\"US-NEWS-USMEXICO-PHARMACIES-DEATHS-2-LA\\"")
<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTesting on an Adderall pill came back positive for meth in Cabo San Lucas<\/span><\/p>\nWally Skalij | Los Angeles Times via TNS<\/span><\/h6><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\u201cIt\u2019s pretty dangerous out there, you\u2019re usually not getting what you think you\u2019re getting,\u201d Toliver said.<\/span><\/p>\nBoxill said the most common substances college students use, following alcohol and marijuana, are opioids, stimulants and sedatives.<\/span><\/p>\nBoxill said drug use should not be stigmatized nor viewed as a moral failing.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIf I\u2019m ashamed of myself, because the world has made me feel ashamed, how likely am I to come to you for help?\u201d Boxill said.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\u201cWhen people think of that incident last year, it wasn\u2019t just two people who overdosed, it was two people who died, and we need to be clear, and that wasn't the first time we had people in the campus area overdose and die.\u201d Boxill said.<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBoxill said for each population, the categorization of a \u201crecreational\u201d drug can be different and college students could be using stimulants recreationally or as downers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe complication comes in when you have what's called polysubstance use, you use more than one, and you start to think all your stuff is safe, but the combination of those drugs is what can lead to overdose,\u201d Boxill said.<\/span><\/p>\nSOAR is an app created by Ohio State students which allows any student to anonymously report and receive notifications regarding drugs sold and laced with fentanyl.<\/span><\/p>\n
Fentanyl is the leading drug attributed to overdose deaths in Columbus due to its high potency and common occurrence in recreational street drugs. What The Lantern has found is that fentanyl related overdose deaths affect every Columbus community, including the University District.<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> Arianna Smith<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Helping one person with addiction helps the entire community of loved ones connected to them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s what Adam Ball, a Columbus Division of Police officer who lost his father to addiction, said. Ball said if his father, who he declined to name, received treatment for his addiction, it would have impacted everyone close to him, especially himself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \u201cWhen I look at the end of the year, and it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, we engaged with over such and such thousands, but we only got 400-500 into treatment, and then I think in my head, \u2018Times that by 60, think about the thousands of lives we changed because we got one person into treatment,\u2019 and it kind of makes you rethink your approach to it,\u201d Ball said.<\/span><\/p>\n As an officer on a team dedicated to responding to addiction and drug-related emergencies, Ball said he takes a similar approach when fighting against overdose deaths in Columbus communities, including the University District.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Recreational street drugs favored by college students have always been a concern, but recently it\u2019s grown to be a public health crisis because they are now often laced with a deadly substance: fentanyl.<\/span><\/p>\n Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease and Contro<\/span>l.<\/span> It is often added to other drugs because it makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Information about fentanyl handed out during a workshop on drug and alcohol prevention during the Resource Fair at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center in Dallas on Saturday, April 1, 2023.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to <\/span>the CDC<\/span><\/a>, there were 5,204 overdose deaths in Ohio in 2020 out of a total 91,799 nationwide \u2014 the third most of any state \u2014\u00a0and about 5.7 percent of the total overdose deaths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to the <\/span>Columbus Franklin County Addiction plan<\/span><\/a>, 803 of the total 5,204 overdose deaths were in Franklin County. This number decreased to 707 in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n Over the past three months, The Lantern spoke with public health officials, law enforcement, Ohio State officials and students to understand the dangers of illicit drug use. These drugs include \u2014 but are not limited to \u2014 Adderall, cocaine, crack and opiates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fentanyl was listed as the key cause of the overdose <\/span>deaths of two Ohio State students<\/span><\/a> \u2014 <\/span>Jessica Lopez and Tiffany Iler \u2014 <\/span>in May 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Andrea Boxill, <\/span>Columbus Public Health administrator for addiction services, <\/span>said fentanyl is what has really increased overdose deaths across the state and nation as a whole.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Alison Miller, program manager of the Opioid Use Disorder Program at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, said the center sees accidental overdoses frequently in the University District from drugs patients didn\u2019t know were laced with fentanyl. <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Ball emphasized that drugs are an issue everywhere, including the University District.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a very popular view from the university, that drugs exist and are around, but they do,\u201d Ball said. \u201cThey exist in every single neighborhood. No one\u2019s immune to it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Lt. Charles Waldenga, an officer within Columbus Police\u2019s mental health\/addiction services section, said drug overdoses are a public health issue affecting the quality of life for everyone in the city.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat it\u2019s gonna see, as we dive into this more, opioids and overdoses and even unintentional ones from other things related, it\u2019s become a problem,\u201d <\/span>Waldenga said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ohio is the seventh-most populated state, but experienced a disproportionate amount of overdose deaths in 2020 when compared to its population size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to the <\/span>CDC<\/span><\/a>, the overdose death count in Ohio decreased to 4,999 in 2022, compared to 5,420 in 2021 \u2014 a 7.77 percent decrease in overdose deaths.<\/span><\/p>\n According to 2020 data from the <\/span>Ohio Department of Health<\/span><\/a> on drug overdoses, fentanyl accounted for eight out of every 10 overdose deaths in Ohio.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>That person that was taking that cocaine, probably did not realize that they were also ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl,<\/span>\u201d Waldenga said. <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> Waldenga and Ball are members of the Rapid Response Emergency and Addiction Team,<\/span> which actively uses prevention and harm reduction methods such as the distribution of fentanyl test strips, education on how to properly administer Narcan to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and the supply of Narcan to the majority of Columbus police officers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In Franklin County, Boxill said the number of overdose-related deaths are slightly decreasing.<\/span><\/p>\n Columbus Fire Captain and RREACT team co-founder Matt Parrish <\/span>said <\/span>the team has contributed to the decline through its outreach, distribution of Narcan, CPR training and more.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThose numbers are really bad for 2020, but the good thing is we\u2019ve seen after the pandemic kind of slowed, the pandemic really exacerbated things, we\u2019ve seen the fatal overdoses start to decline significantly,\u201d Parrish said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Just how many Ohio State students are included among overdose statistics, fatal and non-fatal, is not clear.<\/span><\/p>\n Ball said whether they have had individuals bring in their drugs or they took home fentanyl test strips to test their drugs, the result was always the same.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Every single time we\u2019ve seen somebody test their dope, it's been positive for fentanyl, every single time<\/span>,\u201d Ball said.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Boxill said typical overdoses are those in which an individual takes too much of a specific drug, but recent events in Columbus were different \u2014 these were cases of fentanyl-laced drugs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re talking about college students who took a pill from a friend thinking they were going to have an all-nighter, whether that was to party or to study, and it turned out to be a fake pill that was pure fentanyl,\u201d Boxill said.<\/span><\/p>\n Waldenga said students may face situations where they are offered illicit drugs and their risk of overdosing is much higher because they have no tolerance to fentanyl.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot only are they physically not ready for it, the thing they\u2019re going to be ingesting is also exponentially more risky then what they thought they were taking,\u201d Waldenga said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Isaac Toliver, Columbus Fire Lieutenant and RREACT team supervisor, said for any illegal drug, especially pressed pills, students have to assume they\u2019re laced with fentanyl.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> Testing on an Adderall pill came back positive for meth in Cabo San Lucas<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty dangerous out there, you\u2019re usually not getting what you think you\u2019re getting,\u201d Toliver said.<\/span><\/p>\n Boxill said the most common substances college students use, following alcohol and marijuana, are opioids, stimulants and sedatives.<\/span><\/p>\n Boxill said drug use should not be stigmatized nor viewed as a moral failing.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m ashamed of myself, because the world has made me feel ashamed, how likely am I to come to you for help?\u201d Boxill said.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Boxill said for each population, the categorization of a \u201crecreational\u201d drug can be different and college students could be using stimulants recreationally or as downers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe complication comes in when you have what's called polysubstance use, you use more than one, and you start to think all your stuff is safe, but the combination of those drugs is what can lead to overdose,\u201d Boxill said.<\/span><\/p>\n SOAR is an app created by Ohio State students which allows any student to anonymously report and receive notifications regarding drugs sold and laced with fentanyl.<\/span><\/p>\nPatricia B. Miller Special Projects Editor<\/em><\/em><\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>Juan Figueroa via TNS<\/span><\/h6><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\u201cThat person that was taking that cocaine, probably did not realize that they were also ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl, so that\u2019s been a big thing,\u201d Waldenga said.<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\u201cEvery single time we\u2019ve seen somebody test their dope, it's been positive for fentanyl, every single time,\u201d Ball said.<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>
Students<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>
<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>Wally Skalij | Los Angeles Times via TNS<\/span><\/h6><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>
\u201cWhen people think of that incident last year, it wasn\u2019t just two people who overdosed, it was two people who died, and we need to be clear, and that wasn't the first time we had people in the campus area overdose and die.\u201d Boxill said.<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>