Elephant Tranquilizer Kills 2 Anne Arundel Residents

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland health officials have issued a warning after the powerful synthetic opioid carfentanil — an elephant tranquilizer hundreds of times more powerful than heroin — caused three overdose deaths in the state, including two in Anne Arundel County. One person died in Frederick County from an apparent overdose from the synthetic opioid.

“The risk in using these drugs cannot be overstated,” said Maryland Public Health Services Deputy Secretary Howard Haft. He urged substance abusers to find location-based treatment resources at MdDestinationRecovery.org or through the 24/7 Maryland Crisis Hotline, 1-800-422-0009, before it’s too late. Earlier this year Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency to fight the opioid epidemic and to cut through red tape to foster more effective agency collaboration.

“Carfentanil is the latest in a string of deadly drugs that have exacted a horrible toll on residents in Maryland and across the country,” said Maryland Department of Health and Mental Secretary Dennis R. Schrader.

Every police and fire station in Anne Arundel County is now a "Safe Station," whose personnel can put heroin and opioid addicts in touch with recovery services. The program was announced Thursday by county and Annapolis city officials. The county's program launch came a week after a troubling string of six drug overdoses in 24 hours. Three of the overdose cases were in Glen Burnie, one in Arnold, one in Linthicum and one in Annapolis, police told Patch. 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.

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.

In September, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency issued a warning about carfentanil, which is 10,000 times deadlier than morphine and 100 times deadlier than fentanyl, which is 50 times deadlier than heroin. Improper handling of carfentanil, as well as fentanyl and other fentanyl-related compounds, has deadly consequences, federal authorities said.

“Carfentanil is surfacing in more and more communities,” DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg said in a news release. “We see it on the streets, often disguised as heroin. It is crazy dangerous.”

The synthetic opioid carfentanil was detected by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in the performance of autopsies on the overdose victims, said Schrader.

Where to Get Help in Maryland

Maryland residents who need help finding substance abuse treatment resources should visit the Department of Health website for links to substance abuse treatment facilities. Or call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support, at 1-800-422-0009.

If you know of someone who could use treatment for substance abuse, treatment facilities can be located by location and program characteristics online.

Increasing Overdoses Statewide

According to numbers released by the state in late December, through the end of September 2016 Maryland had set a tragic record. 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. 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.

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..."

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

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.

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