Ludlow toddler's fentanyl death a tragic reminder of widespread opioid epidemic


Local experts say illicit fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has become a “drug staple” in the region as common as cocaine and methamphetamine, and it accounts for hundreds of fatal overdoses annually.

Another tragic reminder of that disturbing trend came this week as a Northern Kentucky 2-year-old died from ingesting his mother’s fentanyl. Lauren Baker, 33, has been charged with murder as prosecutors said she took a shot of fentanyl before going to sleep with her son, Jaxson, who found the drug in her purse and overdosed.