The opioid epidemic continues to cast a long shadow over Portsmouth—two overdose-related calls in under an hour underscore just how deep the crisis runs.
🕐 1:00 PM – She Was Shooting Up in the Garage
A caller from Jackson Avenue told police that his friend’s daughter was using drugs in his garage—specifically, “shooting up.” But by the time officers arrived, she had already passed away. No arrests, no help—just another tragic victim of the Opioid Crisis.
🕝 1:45 PM – Passed Out on a Church Porch
Just 45 minutes later, a separate call came in from Temple Baptist Church, where a man was found unresponsive on the porch. Good Samaritans tried to wake him, but he wouldn’t budge.
🚑 EMS and police rushed to the scene. Fortunately, this one had a better ending. The man came around and agreed to go with the Quick Response Team (QRT), who transported him to a local rehab center to start treatment.
💉 The Bigger Picture
These back-to-back calls are just another snapshot of the addiction emergency gripping our community.
- More families are calling for help.
- More overdoses are being reported.
- And while some people are reaching recovery, too many are still slipping away.
Stay with SCDN for continuing coverage on the drug crisis hitting Portsmouth and Scioto County—and the people trying to fight it.
