Akron sees 15 overdoses in 10 hours

Law enforcement and medical personnel responded to 15 suspected heroin overdoses, with one fatality, in less than 10 hours in Akron, Ohio during the first week of July. The number grew to 19 by the end of the 24-hour period.

The Akron Police Department believes the cause of the overdoses to be heroin laced with fentanyl, a deadly drug that is 50 times more potent than heroin. The Akron Beacon Journal reported that emergency personnel had to administer several doses of naloxone to revive the patients, reinforcing suspicions of fentanyl.

Akron’s emergency services responded to 320 drug overdoses during the first six months of 2016. From July 5 to July 26, they responded to 236 calls. In total 63 people have died from drug overdoses in Akron this year, according to the Beacon Journal.

Overdose: An Epidemic in Akron

Drug users make up 42 percent of the population in Akron, according to a 2013 report by the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network.

In a press conference following the overdose reports, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said, “We must realize that while our first responders continue to bear the brunt of this epidemic, this has long past moved into a public health crisis that afflicts many communities across our state and our country.”

The death toll from the overdoses rose to four, with reports of at least six more cases in two days following the first reports. The sudden spike is unusual.

Since the beginning of the year, Akron has seen a steady decrease in fatal overdoses. The year started with five deaths per week dwindling to about one per week.

Local law enforcement suspects that the cases may be connected. Akron Police Chief James Nice maintained that the authorities are increasing their efforts to track down the dealer.

“We’ve put about four times as many people working day and night on this because if it is a bad bunch of dope, we want to get a search warrant on that location,” Nice said.

Overdose fatalities in Akron totaled 55 cases since the start of this year — a 15 percent increase from last year.

Naloxone, a Life Saver

Ohio recorded 2,020 fatal overdoses involving opioids in 2014, compared to 1,539 the previous year. In response to this alarming increase, Governor John Kasich signed a bill in July 2015 to allow Ohio pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a prescription.

Naloxone, branded as Narcan, works hand in hand with emergency treatment to reverse the deadly effects of an opioid overdose. Available as an injection or a nasal spray, naloxone reversed more than 10,000 overdoses between 1996 and 2010.

CDC Director Tom Frieden said: “Many of these [overdose] deaths can be prevented by improving prescribing practices to prevent opioid addiction, expanding the use of medication-assisted treatment, and increasing use of naloxone for suspected overdoses.”

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees. According to the Akron beacon Journal, the series of overdoses started a social media debate regarding whether paramedics should save addicts’ lives. A woman suggested that more funds go to rehabs than to naloxone.

“[The substance users] don’t have to kick the habit now because they know if they overdose, here comes the ambulance with the Narcan. They might think twice about shooting up if we stop saving them,” wrote the woman.

But addiction is a chronic brain disease. While the initial drug use may be a personal choice, the long-term use is an illness. During the same social media debate, a man stated, “No one wakes up one day [and] chooses to be bound physically, mentally, psychologically to a substance to the point where it becomes the only thing that matters to them.”



Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

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