Nine Ohio State students have created an app to help Franklin County combat the opioid epidemic.
Developed by Kate Luckerman, a second-year in computer science and engineering, the SOAR Columbus app identifies and alerts users of deadly batches of drugs in the community and provides access to a list of harm reduction resources such as test strips, sterile use supplies and narcan — an overdose reversal drug.
Franklin County saw 5,255 Emergency Medical Services runs for suspected drug overdoses between Dec. 30, 2019, and Dec. 27, 2020, according to the Franklin County Public Health Department website. There were 548 overdose deaths in 2020, up from 547 the year before, which was also an increase from the year prior.
Learn more about the SOAR Initiative here.
