Guards, nurses and inmates at a central Ohio prison were exposed to an opioid-based substance and experienced symptoms of an overdose, the Ohio Highway Patrol said Wednesday.
At least 20 victims, including 15 guards, four nurses and an inmate, were reported at the Ross Correctional Institution, the Ohio Highway Patrol told the Chillicothe Gazette.
{mosads}The patrol’s public affairs officer, Lt. Robert Sellers, said that those exposed had been issued doses of Naloxone, a drug meant to counter the effects of opioid overdose, adding that 300 doses in total were on-site to treat any additional reports of overdoses.
Sellers told the Gazette that the prison grounds are secure, but one housing unit would likely be evacuated over the substance, which has yet to be identified.
Crews from at least five different law enforcement agencies were investigating the scene on Wednesday, according to the report.
Nearby schools were also placed on lockdown.
Preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month shows that the United States’ opioid abuse epidemic hit record highs in 2017, with more than 72,000 Americans dying from overdoses last year. Nearly 30,000 of those deaths were from overdoses of synthetic opioids, like fentanyl.
The House passed a large package of bills related to the opioid epidemic earlier this year, but the group of legislation has yet to gain traction in the Senate.