Cincinnati’s Journey to Overcome the Synthetic Opioid Crisis

A decade ago, Cincinnati, Ohio, became one of the battlegrounds for America’s escalating opioid crisis. Tom Synan, the police chief of Newton and leader of the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition, recalls areas where opioid overdoses frequently occurred, placing an enormous strain on emergency responders.

The Impact of Carfentanil

In late August 2016, Cincinnati was flooded with carfentanil, drastically altering the landscape. Synan highlights this period as a pivotal moment, not just locally, but nationally.

Carfentanil, an extraordinarily potent synthetic opioid utilized to sedate large animals like elephants, is about 100 times stronger than fentanyl. In Ohio, it led to numerous fatalities almost immediately.

During the height of the crisis, Ohio experienced nearly 400 carfentanil-related deaths in a single year, contributing to a total of 3,500 opioid-related fatalities—a staggering 35% increase over the previous year.

A Changing Crisis

Today, the crisis in Cincinnati has notably evolved. Areas once heavily affected are now part of a significant nationwide decline in overdose deaths.

According to Synan, overdose fatalities have decreased for four consecutive years. This progress results from efforts to dismantle drug networks while simultaneously providing addiction treatment.

The Centers for Disease Control reported that in 2023, the national peak hit 111,000 overdose deaths. Since then, the numbers have continually dropped, estimated at around 73,000 for the year ending in August 2025.

Reasons Behind the Decline

Researchers credit this decline partly to the expanded availability of overdose-reversal medication and the decreased potency of drugs from China. Synan corroborates this, noting these factors as substantial contributors.

Controversial Measures and Continued Efforts

The federal government recently intensified its stance by designating illicit fentanyl as a 'weapon of mass destruction.' In Cincinnati’s local marketplace, opinions remain divided on this classification. Some community members resonate with the firm stance, considering it justified given personal losses.

However, others argue that simply labeling the issue doesn’t address it. They point out that solutions have eluded authorities for decades, and new drugs continually emerge to fill voids left by suppressed substances.

Synan believes the emphasis should lie in treatment rather than enforcement, highlighting how federal funding supports programs that focus on assisting addicts directly.