Deathly fentanyl overdoses have increased in Louisville. It was believed that heroin caused recent drug-related deaths, but a suspected drug dealer notified directives that heroin was being mixed with fentanyl, a deadly and powerful drug.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is used for severe pain. However, given the fact that it is cheaper and up to 50 times more potent than heroin, manufacturers are mixing their drug with fentanyl. Apparently, drug users and police officers didn’t know anything about it. Now, fentanyl is being blamed for causing nearly 43 percent of Jefferson county’s 325 fatal overdoses last year, meaning that more people died due to drug abuse than because of homicides.
“It’s troubling,” the police sergeant said. “We’re talking to people now who were actually trying to find the fentanyl. We’re told the high is quicker and slightly longer.”
Drugs take more lives than homicides
According to the police officers, they received a call from a suspected drug dealer from South Louisville warning them that the drug he had been selling was being mixed with fentanyl. This alerted the officers given the deathly consequences of consuming it without professional supervision. A person can die from breathing in or having their skin exposed to a very small amount of fentanyl powder.
Therefore, there is no coincidence that Louisville reported a spike in drug-related deaths. Last year, there were reported 325 fatal drug overdoses which take more lives than homicides. It is believed that fentanyl-related death makes up more than 40 percent of these deaths, increasing from 26 to 139 deaths between 2015 and 2016, according to Jefferson County coroner’s data. As well, deaths related to all drugs have an important 48 percent increase, going from 220 to 325 in the same period.
Fentanyl is being mixed with other drugs
Fentanyl is mainly used as a painkiller for advanced cancer patients and amputees given its potency, which is 50 times as potent as heroin. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, a dose as small as two milligrams can be lethal.
The worst thing is that police officers cannot detect it, and dealers sometimes don’t even know that the shipment they bought has it. Police don’t have a good forecast for 2017 on the matter. Jim Scott, resident agent-in-charge of the DEA’s Louisville Division, expects overdoses from fentanyl to rise this year. Fentanyl is cheaper than heroin which is appealing to manufacturers and traffickers, as well, it is appealing to consumers because of its potency. It is often made in China and shipped to Mexico or Canada and then it is taken to the US. As well, it was reported that manufacturers are adding fentanyl to other products such as counterfeit prescription pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine
“Sometimes someone wants to experiment and it only takes one pill to die. If it’s fentanyl, it’s Russian Roulette,” said Dr. Robert Chouch, medical director for emergency services at the Norton Audubon Hospital.
More than two dozen people have already died from an overdose in 2015 in Jefferson County. Out of eight toxicology reports, seven stated that the person had consumed fentanyl.
Source: WTSP
GUYS THOSE PATNETS DOPER WHOM DEALING WITH FENTANYL WRITE THIS OLD 80 PHARACIST WITH 50 YEARS OF EXPEREENCE fentanyl guys is killer ndstay out of it way before it kill and give syoke like it to tome post a surgical procedure legally under the care of neuro surgeon, write banout@gmail.com simple I know the fentanyl l well I will get out of your problems and prolong your lives, other wise e GUARANTEED DEATH
Stop compounding (mixing) multiple drugs together! The outcome dosage is completely unknown and doesn’t seem to scare fools away. Unknown purity and dosages plus dirty needles and spoons is what society gets for making pharmaceutical quality drugs hard to get.
A Caucasian drug addiction epidemic in a coal-loving, Trump-loving and Caucasian-loving state. Ironically you will never hear Trumpty-Dumpty threaten to send the National Guard into Kentucky.
Anyone and everyone that overdoses on heroin or opioids is a freakin moron…sorry, but heroin addiction is a disease of choice and with everything we know about its dangers, someone has to be a complete idiot to get involved with that, much less overdosing…if someone chooses to throw away their life by messing with something that is known to potentially kill then welcome to what you get.
Until it’s your own brother or sister.
Hopefully, nobody tries to ‘Listen • Learn • Live • Love’ from your disgusting message of hate and self-centeredness.
It’s regrettable that you don’t agree with my point of view, however I stand stalwart in my conviction of the statement and will continue to stand by it and think no differently, in spite of you coming along and attempting to cause trouble by spreading your filth and your lies about hatred and self-centeredness, all because I have a viewpoint that is not like yours? Just because you don’t agree with my assessment of this tragic situation, you DO NOT have the right to say that my opinion is filled with hate and self-centeredness. HOW DARE YOU try to quash the very foundation of possessing differing opinions, to debate, dissent and discuss our differing viewpoints…not to beat each other over the head with it (as you just did with your thoughtless and arrogant response) but to have the comfort and security of being able to express said opinion to begin with? WITHOUT being viciously attacked for it and at the same time being able to hear and respect the other person’s opinion without the judgment, the finger-pointing and the incessant need to tell me I’m wrong? Shame on you, for you will continue to be part of the problem until you see and change the error of your misguided and draconian ways.
I found your original comment so thoughtless and arrogant, I needed to express my opinion of sickness toward compassion-lacking people like you.
It is a disease of CHOICE…and I stand by EVERY WORD I wrote about my viewpoint on this topic regardless of what people like you say or think. So get over yourself and move on….there’s nothing more to see or say here.
Heartless, lost woman with no real life experience.
Mr. Duudi (or is it Dooty)…If you continue to harass me, to condemn me and to sully my name for the sake of your sick need to quash and control the opinions of others, then you will ultimately pay for your Sins by way of the sentence for being an addict and a fraudzn just like the fools that overdose and die. Morons…EVERY ONE OF THEM.
How is it a ‘disease of choice’ if you’re sick, need medication, and get addicted? Should all the cancer patients of the world addicted to opioids just ‘overdose and die’ as you suggest?
You do not think enough, but I forgive you. Having a low IQ is not a disease of choice, so I have much pity for you.