Health Warning: 6 Drug Overdoses In 24 Hours Sweep County

(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) ANNAPOLIS, MD — A spate of six drug overdoses in the past 24 hours in Anne Arundel County has prompted the health officials to warn residents of the increase in overdoses, and to remind users how they can get treatment for addiction. Most overdoses in the county in the past year have been tied to the use of opioids including heroin, plus prescription drugs methadone, fentanyl, Percocet and OxyContin.

So many overdoses in a short period of time often indicates that the illegal or prescription drugs currently being sold are very potent and are more likely to cause an overdose, health officials said Thursday. According to Anne Arundel County Police spokesman Marc Limansky, none of the six overdoses were fatal. Officers used Naloxone on two victims, while department personnel used it on one victim; the drug can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and restore breathing. Three of the overdose cases were in Glen Burnie, one in Arnold, one in Linthicum, and one in Annapolis, Limansky told Patch.

According to new numbers released by the state in late December, through the end of September 2016 Maryland had set a tragic record in the number of overdose deaths. (SIGN UP: Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts, or like us on Facebook. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says that from January to September, Maryland saw 1,468 deaths related to overdose, surpassing the 1,259 overdose deaths that occurred in all of 2015 statewide. And the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has yet to tally overdose deaths from October through December 2016, which will increase the record tally. In 2015, the state saw a 21 percent increase in the number of deaths from drug and alcohol intoxication. The number of intoxication deaths had nearly doubled since 2010.

Drug addiction and overdoses aren't isolated to Anne Arundel County. Last month, spiking heroin fatalities in Harford County led local police to update a sign that shows the overdose tally. On March 4 the county had lost 13 lives due to heroin. By March 23 the number was at 21, officials said.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said he had received autopsies for nine so far — and all nine showed fentanyl was involved. Fentanyl is an opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Some drug users who think they are buying heroin are actually buying fentanyl or heroin laced with fentanyl.

Earlier this month, Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency in Maryland due to the rise in overdose deaths from heroin, particularly because of fentanyl. “We need to treat this crisis the exact same way we would treat any other state emergency," Hogan said. "This is about taking an all-hands-on-deck approach..."

Several sessions of Anne Arundel County's "Not My Child" program to discuss the use of drugs by children and adults in every community are planned in coming weeks countywide. The focus of this program is to provide the facts of abuse of prescription drugs and the escalation of heroin use in local communities.

SEE ALSO:

• Heroin Fatalities Up 185 Percent: Harford Sheriff
• 16 Opioid Overdoses, 3 Deaths In 24 Hours Across Anne Arundel County
• Maryland Opioid Epidemic: New Laws Tackle Addiction
• Heroin and Opioid Crisis Hits Record High in Maryland
• Heroin Crisis: Desperate Families Wonder If Anyone Cares
• Heroin Epidemic Escalates Across Maryland
• 3 Die from Heroin Overdoses in One Day: Harford Sheriff
• $3M Targeted at Fighting Maryland's Heroin Epidemic
• Heroin Addicts Dealt Hope By County Police Chief
• 'I Really Like Getting High': Anne Arundel Heroin User

The "Not My Child" presentation includes a panel of experts, question and answer from the audience, and treatment providers ready to provide information and referral. Organizers say substance misuse is in every neighborhood, and all communities. Presentations scheduled include:

• April 13, 6:30 p.m., Hope House, 26 Marbury Drive, Annapolis
• April 18, 27 p.m., Annapolis High School, 2700 Riva Road, Annapolis
• April 20, 7 p.m., St. Margaret’s Church/Day School, 1601 Pleasant Plains Road, Annapolis
• April 27, 7 p.m., Corkran Middle School, 7600 Quarterfield Road, Glen Burnie
• April 30, 5:30 p.m., St. Andrews by the Bay Church, 701 College Parkway, Annapolis

Signs of Overdose:

• Person is not responsive.
• Fingertips or lips turn blue or grey.
• Breathing is slow, shallow or has stopped.
• Person is gurgling or making snoring noises.

What can you do if you see an opioid overdose?

• Call 911.
• If you have naloxone, give the person naloxone and perform rescue breathing.
• If no response after 2-3 minutes, give a second dose of naloxone.
• Do not leave the person alone. Help will arrive.
• If the person starts to breathe or becomes more alert, lay the person in the recovery position; put the person slightly on the left side so that their body is supported by a bent knee with their face turned to the side and bottom arm reaching out to stabilize the position.

Remember the Good Samaritan Law – save a life!

• If you provide help or assist a person experiencing a medical emergency due to alcohol or drugs, you are criminally IMMUNE from being charged, arrested and prosecuted from certain crimes. (Ann. Code Md. CR §1-210)
• The police and the courts believe that saving a life is more important than a charge or an arrest.

Where can I get free naloxone training?
On www.aahealth.org, there is a calendar listing all public naloxone training. Naloxone is available from your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacy if you have received the training. Free naloxone training: Save a Life!

How can I lower my risk of overdose?

• Carry naloxone with you at all times and inform others where it is.
• If you haven’t used in a while, start slowly. You are at a high risk for overdose after leaving jail, prison or the hospital or after coming out of treatment.
• Avoid mixing substances.
• Be aware that drugs vary widely in purity and strength.
• Don’t use alone. If you must use alone, let people know where you are, and never the lock the door.
• Check up on each other.
• Seek treatment.

Where can someone get treatment?

Call the Anne Arundel County Substance Use Treatment and Referral Line: 410-222-0117.
If you have any questions, call Sandy O’Neill at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health: 410-222-7165.
»Photo of heroin powder from the Drug Enforcement Administration