The Onondaga County Health Department alerted the community of a rapid increase in opioid-related overdoses in the Syracuse area. The health department said Thursday there had been 25 overdoses in a 24-hour period. A press release from the health department says the department believes the overdoses are linked to fentanyl-laced Spike/Spice.
This is the second time in a period of a few weeks that the county has reported a spike in opioid-related overdoses. Just prior to Christmas, County Executive Ryan McMahon said there had been 14 overdoses in 36 hours which were related to fentanyl.
"We are concerned about more overdoses," McMahon said in December. "The crap being sold on the streets is loaded with fentanyl and users are at high risk. We've been doing a lot related to Narcan."
Narcan or naloxone is a nasal spray that can be administered to someone experiencing an overdose and could potentially save that person's life. The health department is encouraging training for both Narcan use and for the public to recognize the signs of potential overdoses to decrease the risk of overdoses being fatal.
