>>> AS THE UNITED STATES SENATE
CONTINUES TO DEBATE THE
REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE PLAN, THE
FOCUS OF MANY STATES IS ADEQUATE
FUNDING TO TREAT AND COMBAT THE
EPIDEMIC OF OPIOID DRUG
ADDICTION.
OPIOIDS LIKE HEROIN AND
PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS NOW
CLAIM MORE LIVES IN AMERICA THAN
CAR CRASHES, GUNS OR HIV DID AT
THEIR RESPECTIVE PEAKS.
MORE THAN 52,000 DIED OF
OVERDOSE, POLICE EMERGENCY ROOMS
AND TREATMENT CENTERS ARE
OVERWHELMED.
FOR SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT, JACOB
SOBOROFF WENT TO THE OHIO COUNTY
WITH A GRIM DISTINCTION.
>> Reporter: DAYTON, OHIO, THE
WRIGHT BROTHERS BUILT THEIR
FIRST AIRPLANES HERE, AND
CHANGED AMERICA FOREVER.
TODAY THE CITY IS AGAIN AT THE
CENTER OF INNOVATION, A DEADLY
ONE SWEEPING THE COUNTRY.
>> THERE WAS A CAR ACCIDENT
HERE.
TOOK ONE PERSON OUT OF THE
VEHICLE HAD A THOUSAND YARD
STARE, WAS OUT OF IT.
HE IS IN THE BACK OF THE
AMBULANCE HERE.
WALKED IN TO CASH A CHECK, BY
THE TIME YOU HAD COME BACK, YOUR
BROTHER HAD GOTTEN IN AN
ACCIDENT AND TOLD THE PARAMEDIC
HE WAS ON FENTANYL.
WHAT DID HE LOOK LIKE?
>> EYES WERE GLOSSY, CAN BARELY
OPEN THEM.
>> WHAT DID HE SAY TO YOU?
>> HE LOVED ME.
>> HE SAID I LOVE YOU.
WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HIM.
>> I LOVE HIM TOO.
>> WHAT'S IT LIKE TO GO THROUGH
THIS?
>> HELL.
IT'S HELL.
EVERY DAY IT IS JUST HELL.
>> OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS,
FENTANYL, AN OPEN OID THAT CAN
BE THOUSANDS OF TIMES STRONGER
THAN HEROIN IS FLOODING INTO
PLACES LIKE HERE, MONTGOMERY
COUNTY HIGHWAY.
THROUGH MAY, OVERDOSE DEATHS IN
THE COUNTY ALMOST HIT LAST
YEAR'S TOTAL.
OFFICIALS ESTIMATE THIS YEAR'S
FINAL NUMBER WILL DOUBLE THAT.
>> ON PACE TO HAVE 800 PEOPLE
DIE DUE TO OVERDOSE IN OUR
COUNTY.
PER CAPITA, NUMBER ONE IN
OVERDOSE DEATH.
JOB MARKETS TANKED, LOST
AUTOMOTIVE PSYCHIATRIST,
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES.
PEOPLE ARE DEPRESSED, SELF
MEDICATING.
>> THE FIRST WAS PAIN PILLS,
INCLUDING OXYCONTIN.
IN RESPONSE TO MEDIA ATTENTION,
ACCESS TO PILLS RESTRICTED.
IN THEIR PLACE, HEROIN FROM
MEXICO, CHEAPER, MORE POWERFUL.
COUPLE YEARS AGO, TRAFFICKERS
BEGAN TO MIX FENTANYL INTO THE
HEROIN.
AND FENTANYL IS BY FAR THE MOST
FATAL DRUG OF ABUSE AMERICA HAS
EVER SEEN.
>> YOU LIVE HERE?
>> UH-HUH.
>> YOU HAVE A NICKNAME FOR THIS
STREET.
>> MORGUE.
>> NOT MORGAN, MORGUE.
>> WHICH HOUSES HAVE PEOPLE DIED
IN?
>> WHICH HOUSES HAVE PEOPLE NOT
DIED IN.
>> REALLY?
>> REALLY.
>> I LIVED HERE ABOUT FIVE
YEARS, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS,
IT IS UNREAL.
IN 47 MINUTES, THERE WAS ALREADY
NINE DEATHS.
>> ON THIS STREET.
>> PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM WHAT?
>> DRUGS.
>> AS THE DEATH RATE SKYROCKETS,
THEY COME TO THE CORONER WHO
PERFORMS TESTS TO DETECT OVER
TWO DOZEN VARIETIES OF FENTANYL.
>> EVERY VILE REPRESENTS
SOMEBODY THAT DIED.
>> CORRECT.
>> THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL THE
COOLER.
>> THIS IS OUR COOLER, MAIN
COOLER.
>> WHEN DID THE BODIES AROUND US
COME IN HERE.
>> OVER THE LAST 24 TO 48 HOURS.
>> AND EVERY DAY BODIES CYCLE
THROUGH.
>> YES.
IT WILL BE FULL BY TONIGHT.
>> WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF
BODIES HERE NOW THAT ARE
OVERDOSE DEATHS FROM HEROIN OR
FENTANYL?
>> WE ARE AVERAGING 60 TO 70% OF
CASES ARE OVERDOSE.
>> 70% OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM
DIED PROBABLY OF FENTANYL?
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> IF YOU COULD EXTRAPOLATE FROM
THE NUMBER SEEN IN MONTGOMERY
COUNTY, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN OHIO
KILLED BY FENTANYL THIS YEAR.
>> WE COVER A FIFTH OF THE STATE
OF OHIO, ESTIMATING ABOUT 2,000
OVERDOSES THIS YEAR.
IF THAT CONTINUES, THAT'S ABOUT
10,000 FOR THE STATE OR MORE.
>> HOW IS THAT NOT A MASS
CASUALTY EVENT, MULTIPLES OF
9/11.
>> IT IS A MASS CASUALTY EVENT.
THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN SOME
KIND OF MASS CASUALTY EVENT IN
ANY OTHER FORM, A MEDICAL EVENT.
>> A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
>> IT NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED
THAT WAY TO BRING FEDERAL ASSETS
TO HELP US.
>> JACOB, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A
NATIONAL CRISIS.
THIS IS A NATIONAL EPIDEMIC.
PARTICULARLY ACUTE IN THE COUNTY
YOU VISITED.
WHY THERE?
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS THERE
THAT MAKE IT SO BAD?
>> Reporter: GREAT QUESTION.
DAYTON, OHIO IS AT THE
INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 70
AND 75.
WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT CALLS
CROSSROADS OF AMERICA FOR DRUG
TRAFFICKING, NOT ONLY THAT, THE
INDUSTRIAL JOB LOSS IN DAYTON
WHICH EVERYBODY SAW ACROSS THE
RUST BELT, TALKED ABOUT IT IN
THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN,
CREATED WHAT THEY CALL A SEA OF
DESPAIR.
DRUG CARTELS FROM MEXICO WENT IN
AND EXPLOITED IT FOR FINANCIAL
GAIN.
>> TALKING ABOUT DEATHS HERE IN
THE REPORT.
YOU HAVE ANOTHER REPORT YOU
TALKED ABOUT TREATMENT OF OPIOID
ADDICTION AND HOW CENTERS ARE
FRANKLY OVERWHELMED AND HAVING
TO USE JAILS TO ACCOMMODATE SOME
PEOPLE.
IS THERE HOPE THAT THEY'LL GET
MORE BAND WIDTH ON THAT?
>> THAT'S THE IDEA, BUT THAT'S
WHY EVERYBODY HAS ALL EYES ON
THE HEALTH CARE BILL COMING OUT
OF WASHINGTON.
AS YOU WERE REPORTING EARLIER IN
THE SHOW, HOPEFULLY OR
POTENTIALLY THIS WEEK, THE IDEA
IS THAT MEDICAID FUNDING WOULD
GO TOWARD SOME OF THE TREATMENT,
BUT WITHOUT IT, JAIL FOR THE
TIME BEING, AT LEAST IN
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, ARE ONE OF
THE PRIMARY HABITATION CENTERS,
TREATMENT CENTERS FOR THE
ADDICTS.
>> THIS HAS BEEN AN
EXTRAORDINARY WEEK OF REPORTING
ON THIS SERIES.
CHECK IT OUT AT NBCNEWS.COM.