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Tag: fentanyl-laced drugs

  • 10 Dead In 26 Hours From Overdose In Ohio, Fentanyl Suspected

    10 Dead In 26 Hours From Overdose In Ohio, Fentanyl Suspected

    Ohio has experienced multiple mass overdose cases in past few months, with six dead in a single day in August and nine people dead in 48 hours in July.

    At least 10 people died of drug overdoses in a period of 26 hours in Ohio, according to medical officials. This high number within a short time frame has the Franklin County Coroner’s Office suspecting the involvement of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and is often mixed with other drugs to make them more powerful.

    “As of about 10 a.m. this morning we have had 10 people die of overdoses in about 26 hours. This is an unusually high number for our county in this period of time,” the coroner’s office said in a statement. “At this time we know fentanyl can be mixed into cocaine and methamphetamine. These can be deadly combinations for those who are using.”

    According to ABC News, Ohio has been hit particularly hard by the national opioid epidemic. They have experienced multiple mass overdose cases in past few months, with six dead in a single day in August and nine people dead in 48 hours in July.

    The statement about this latest rash of overdose deaths was posted on Facebook by Franklin County Coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz. The coroner urged those with loved ones who use illicit drugs to carry naloxone, the medication that blocks opioid receptors in the brain and reverses an overdose. She also encouraged those who use risky drugs to take advantage of fentanyl testing strips.

    Fentanyl-Related Overdose Deaths Rise

    Batches of drugs tainted with fentanyl are considered to be largely responsible for the alarming increases in overdose deaths in recent years. Thankfully, many areas are seeing these numbers level off from 2017 to 2018, likely due to widespread efforts to make naloxone available to the public and educate people on how to administer the lifesaving drug.

    Funding for these efforts has also increased substantially in the past couple of years.

    Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced that it will be allocating a new wave of funding to fight the opioid crisis, with senior officials saying that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be getting an extra $1.8 billion for that purpose.

    First Drop In Overdose Deaths Announced

    “Our country is seeing the first drop in overdose deaths in more than two decades, more Americans are getting treatment for addiction, and lives are being saved,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “At the same time, we are still far from declaring victory. We will continue executing on the Department’s 5-Point strategy for combating the opioid crisis, and laying the foundation for a healthcare system where every American can access the mental healthcare they need.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Five Overdose Deaths In New York Possibly Caused By Tainted Cocaine

    Five Overdose Deaths In New York Possibly Caused By Tainted Cocaine

    Authorities have not yet announced what the cocaine was laced with, though some suspect fentanyl may be involved. 

    Five overdose deaths in one weekend spread across two neighboring areas of New York City have police suspecting that a tainted batch of drugs was involved. Three of the overdoses occurred in the Bronx with the other two happening just to the north in Yonkers.

    New York police have identified a batch of tainted cocaine they believe could be the reason for these deaths, according to NBC News.

    “Right now we suspect that there may be up to five deaths related to this batch of cocaine so we want the public to know to not ingest these illicit street drugs because the consequences may be fatal,” said Detective Sergeant Dean Politopoulos.

    Waiting For Toxicology Reports

    The Yonkers police are currently seeking to arrest those responsible for the tainted cocaine. They have not yet announced what the cocaine was laced with, though recent cases of multiple overdose deaths in short periods of time have often been the result of fentanyl contamination, the extremely potent synthetic opioid.

    According to local news, it will be a few weeks before the toxicology reports are released.

    Three Died in Pittsburgh In The Same Week

    The deaths in New York occurred on the same weekend as a rash of overdoses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that killed three people and sent four more to the hospital. All of them appeared to have attended the same party or event as they were all wearing the same orange paper wristbands when they suffered the overdoses.

    “The victims all took the narcotics at the same time and in the same location,” Pittsburgh police said in a statement. They believe the seven victims were at the same venue together and then traveled to an apartment where they took an illicit substance that also may have been tainted.

    A man from the apartment called 911 for help at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, and police believe that if the drug had been distributed at the venue rather than taken at the apartment, there would have been other reports of overdoses in the area.

    They are, however, concerned that there may still be a batch of contaminated drugs out in the community which might be distributed to future victims.

    “We remind the public not to use drugs,” they warned. “Simply put: You do not know what’s in that drug.”

    The Pittsburgh police have determined that fentanyl was the contaminant responsible for these overdoses. They have arrested a suspect, Peter Rene Sanchez Montalvo, and charged him with illegal distribution of a controlled substance. If found guilty, he faces 20 years to life in prison.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Couple Accused Of Running Mobile Home Drug Drive-Through

    Couple Accused Of Running Mobile Home Drug Drive-Through

    A string of overdose cases led authorities back to a mobile home with a makeshift drug-dealing drive through.

    Authorities busted a drug-dealing couple in Florida who were found running a drive-through service for illicit drugs out of the kitchen window of their mobile home. The drive-through experience was complete with signs directing traffic flow and open/closed signs.

    William Parrish Jr., 32, and McKenzee Dobbs, 20, reportedly put together the whole system, according to Ocala Police, to prevent their business from drawing unwanted attention from customers constantly entering and exiting their abode. But several overdoses in the area, presumably by their products, were what finally brought the long arm of the law to their door.

    “We were seeing some overdose incidents that were happening in this particular area, specifically at this particular location,” said Capt. Steven Cuppy of the Ocala Police. “There [were] some heroin sales that were going on there. Subsequently, through the investigation, we were able to determine that product was laced with fentanyl.”

    Parrish has been charged with driving under the influence, keeping a dwelling used to sell drugs, possession of drugs with intent to sell and resisting arrest without violence. Dobbs was slapped with keeping a dwelling used to sell drugs, possession of drugs with intent to sell, possession of fentanyl and possession of fentanyl with intent to sell.

    Parrish’s father, William Parrish Sr., claimed his son was trying to get his life back on track and was visiting a methadone clinic. “He’s been trying to get himself straightened out,” Parrish Sr. said.

    Parrish Sr. maintains that the reports of the overdoses are “a lie.”

    This isn’t the first time dealers have tried to use the convenience of a drive-through to do business. Last year, a pair of Burger King employees were caught using the fast food chain’s drive-through to deal cannabis.

    Customers in the know would speak to the drive-through in code, asking if “nasty boy” was working and, if so, if they could have their “fries extra crispy.”

    This was the cue for Garrett Norris, 20, and Meagan Dearborn, 19, to slip a little bit of marijuana in with the order and collect the payment at the second window. The pair were caught in a police sting, though Dearborn later claimed that she simply handed over the food and never knew what was stashed inside.

    View the original article at thefix.com