Plymouth County Police Chiefs Warn Of Overdose Spike In December

PLYMOUTH, MA — Plymouth County police chiefs have issued a collective warning to the public after a spike of overdose incidents in December. The police chiefs said in a joint statement that there had been 52 overdose cases in the county from Dec. 1 through Dec. 17.

Police want the public — especially those at risk of an overdose and their families — to be aware of the spike and action that can be taken to try to reduce those risks among themselves and loved ones. Police urge that anyone using a substance purchased off the street is at risk for an overdose. It is suspected that many of the recent overdoses are due to fentanyl being mixed with non-opioid substances, such as cocaine and street pills marked as Xanax.

Potential signs of an overdose include: slow and shallow breathing that becomes erratic or stops, a very pale face, cool and clammy skin, choking sounds or gurgling noises sometimes referred to as a death rattle, vomiting, a heart rate that has become slow, erratic or has stopped, a blue or gray skin tinge that often shows up first on lips, fingers and tips of the ears, passing out or a body that becomes very limp.

In the case of an overdose, always call 911 immediately. The Massachusetts Good Samaritan Law, passed in 2007, encourages anyone who witnesses an overdose to seek help by protecting the caller and the person who overdosed from arrest and prosecution for drug possession. Do not be afraid to involve 911 as soon as possible.

Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. The PC chiefs report that Narcan worked in 95 percent of cases when administered in Plymouth County last year.

Local pharmacies have an open/standing prescription for Narcan for everyone. This means you can go to your pharmacy to ask for Narcan. The cost will be whatever your insurance co-pay is.

BAMSI COPE Center at 81 Pleasant Street, Brockton is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. will also have the medication, as well as local drop-in centers found at www.ebhopes.net.

Those seeking Narcan can also call 504-800-0942.

Treatment, support and hope are available throughout the county and region at the following locations:

Brockton Champion Plan – http://opioidoverdosepreventio...

Drop-In Centers, East Bridgewater, Plymouth and Wareham – www.ebhopes.net

Scituate South Shore Peer Recovery Center – http://www.southshorepeerrecov...

Plymouth Recovery Center – https://www.facebook.com/Plymo...

Brockton Area Prevention Collaborative –http://opioidoverdosepreventio...

Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline: 800-327-5050 or https://helplinema.org/

Residents are urged to dispose of unused prescription medications in drug take-back boxes at local police departments or Beth Israel Deaconess-Plymouth hospital at no cost.

While the PC chiefs strong encourage people to seek treatment for addiction, and refrain from abusing opioids, there is an understanding that addiction is a disease. Those who use can reduce their risk of overdose or death through never using alone, use slowly, test a small amount of any substance first, and carry Naracan. Fentanyl test strips are also available at 508-830-4218 Ext. 261.