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VERNON, Ind. (AP) — A southeastern Indiana sheriff says a wave of drug overdoses that killed one person and left 14 others hospitalized was caused by heroin that may have been laced with a powerful painkiller.
Jennings County Sheriff Gary Driver says Tuesday's overdoses sent deputies racing from home to home across the county to administer an anti-overdose drug to victims.
Driver tells The (Columbus) Republic the heroin was apparently laced with fentanyl or another unknown substance. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin that's responsible for a recent surge in overdose deaths in some parts of the country.
Toxicology tests will be performed on a Jennings County woman who died to determine what substance she consumed.
Seymour police in adjacent Jackson County also responded Tuesday to numerous overdoses.
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