LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is raising the alarm about the ongoing drug overdose crisis in Kentucky.
In 2024, the state recorded just over 1,400 drug-involved fatal overdoses. Officials say fentanyl—a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine—was involved in 62 percent of those deaths.
The crisis extends beyond fatalities. In 2023, Kentucky also saw more than 800 fentanyl-involved non-fatal hospital encounters…