Heroin Overdoses Have Sheriff's Office Taking Action

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With the number of suspected heroin overdose deaths along the Suncoast already topping last year’s, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has issued a plea to residents about the dangers of this particular drug.

The agency has released a public service announcement that speaks to the dangers of locally sold heroin, what people should do in the event of an overdose and how to help those struggling with addiction.

“Communities that are seeing a surge in overdoses and deaths from heroin or any other substance cannot arrest their way out of the problem,” said Sheriff Tom Knight. “This is an educational campaign with a goal of saving lives, period.”

Locally seized heroin, the sheriff’s office notes, is typically laced with fentanyl or other deadly substances. The added ingredients can make the drug especially dangerous.

See Also:

• Rash of Heroin Overdoses Reported in Sarasota
• 2nd Woman Charged in Teen’s Near-Fatal Heroin Overdose

The number of suspected heroin overdose deaths in Sarasota, Manatee and Desoto counties has climbed from 63 in 2014 to 86 just through mid-June in 2015, according to the Bradenton Herald.

In July, the Sarasota Police Department alone fielded three heroin overdose calls in a 72-hour period.

“Heroin use, specifically, is especially dangerous because those selling the drugs are cutting it with other unknown drugs in order to make a profit,” the police department wrote in a July email.

In March 2015, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued an alert about fentanyl and fentanyl-laced compounds. This substance is commonly cut into heroin, the police department said. Heroin itself is sold in powder form and is usually white, off white or brown in color. The drug is snorted, injected or smoked. The fast-acting opiate can give users a temporary sense of euphoria.

Signs of heroin use may include:

• Vomiting and scratching
• Slurred speech
• Constipation or nausea
• Failure to eat
• Neglectful self-care
• Wearing long sleeves to cover arms

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