One-year-old Ohio toddler overdoses on heroin, barely survives

In the same week that Ohio sued five major drug companies for allegedly aiding the area's opioid epidemic, the state's ongoing substance issues almost took one of its youngest victims.

Police in Akron, Ohio, are investigating a one-year-old toddler's near-fatal heroin overdose on Thursday. WKYC reports that authorities responded to a 9-1-1 call from the boy's mother, who abruptly ended the call and later fled the scene. After that, a nine-year-old inside the home made a follow-up call to 9-1-1.

When authorities arrived, they used the overdose reversal drug, naloxone, also known as Narcan, to revive the boy, who was not breathing. After he was revived, the one-year-old was transferred to a local children's hospital, with authorities saying that he'll be OK.

As police continue to search for the mother, both children have been turned over to the local children's services, according to WKYC.

The near-tragedy in Akron comes during a tumultuous week for Ohio and its struggle to fight the opioid epidemic. In addition to the state's lawsuit against the drugmakers, Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor revealed that her two sons continue to battle opioid addiction. Things have gotten so grim in Ohio, which had an average of 11 fatalities a day from unintentional drug overdoses last year, that one county coroner had to bring in a trailer to deal with all the opioid-related deaths.

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