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Breaking: BCPH urges caution following fentanyl overdose spike

Boulder police responded to five suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in 36 hours
2020_07_24_LL_Narcan
Narcan can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, including those caused by fentanyl. (Photo by Monte Whaley)

Residents are urged to take extra caution following an increase in suspected drug overdoses in Boulder County.

According to a Facebook post from the Boulder Police Department, officers this week responded to five suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in 36 hours. The police warned it could be a new type or tainted strain of fentanyl.

“We are currently investigating this unusually high number of overdoses and asking for the public’s help with any information,” the post said.

Anyone with information on who might be supplying these drugs is asked to call Boulder Police Dispatch at 3030-441-3333.

Compared to this time last year, Boulder County Public Health estimates there has been a 100% increase in fentanyl-related emergency department visits for Boulder County Residents. The most recent data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shows an increase of almost 70% in fatal fentanyl overdoses from 2020 to 2021 with more than 900 statewide deaths in 2021.

“One exposure can kill, and almost all of the illicit substances sold on the internet, on the streets or by a person you know could be potentially fatal,” Boulder County Substance Use Advisory Group Facilitator Trina Faatz said. “Other substances are often mixed with fentanyl and can be found in a pill or a powder form. If you are going to experiment with street drugs, please have a designated non-user with you, carry Naloxone, and call 911 if you think someone has overdosed.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration found that of the 57.9 million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills seized in 2022, six in 10 contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

To lessen the potential for overdoses, Boulder County Public Health recommends the following steps:

  • Assume that any pills purchased from a non-pharmacy source may contain a lethal dose of fentanyl and follow all precautions to prevent and respond to an overdose.
  • Carry Naloxone and ensure that the people you know also carry it and know how to administer it. Naloxone can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. Fentanyl is stronger and may require additional doses of Naloxone.
  • Always call 911 if you suspect someone has overdosed. Colorado has the Good Samaritan Law, and you will not be charged with drug possession in amounts for personal consumption if you call 911 and remain present until help arrives.
  • Don’t use alone. If you can’t be with someone else, plan to have someone check in on you so that they can come to help you if needed. If you are with someone else who is also going to use, have someone else check in with both of you.
  • Start with a very small dose every time you have something new. You can always add more, but you cannot subtract.
  • Test your drugs using fentanyl strips. Remember, fentanyl strips are not a guarantee of safety. The fentanyl or other drugs may still be in another untested part of the pill or powder or another unknown synthetic.

Naloxone is available at local pharmacies without a prescription and is covered by most insurance plans. Boulder County Works Program participants are also provided free Naloxone.