Trumbull Police Respond to 3 Near-Fatal Heroin Overdoses in Past Two Weeks

Trumbull Police are investigating after three near-fatal heroin overdoses occurred in town in just the past two weeks.

Heroin-related overdose deaths have been up over the past few years with more than 300 in 2014, according to the Office of the State Medical Examiner.

Police are seeing a number of overdoses when the heroin is laced with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, said Lt. Leonard Scinto, police spokesman.

“When the fentanyl is mixed into the heroin the amount varies from one dose to another so the user can never know if there is a lethal amount of fentanyl in the heroin they purchased,” he said.

Trumbull and other police departments are investigating the three incidents in conjunction to see if there is a common source.

In an effort to combat overdose deaths Trumbull Police have been trained and equipped with naloxone, commonly referred to by its brand name Narcan. The drug reverses the depression of the respiratory system that occurs during an overdose and allows the person to be treated further at a hospital.

Training for officers finished this week and kits are on the road with patrol offices. Officer Tim Fedor, an emergency medical instructor taught officers how to recognize an overdose and administer the drug.

Image via Toms River Patch