Salem Police Chief Warns Of Rise In Drug Overdose Deaths

SALEM, MA —Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller said a 45 percent rise in drug overdose deaths could be attributed to a growing presence of fentanyl in drugs purchased on the streets.

Miller said that while drug overdoses are down 20 percent in Salem in 2021, the increase in deaths related to overdoses closely resembles a trend across the state and the country.

"This year isn't finished, but December seems to be following the same direction as the rest of the year," Miller said.

While Miller said there are several possible explanations for the rise in overdose deaths, one that "shouldn't be ignored" is the growing percent of fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opioid — in drugs sized on the street.

Miller said those who purchase what they believe to be cocaine on the street often will not know that fentanyl has been mixed in or has been used as a replacement for the drug.

"It is easy, and possibly even naïve, for a police chief to say: 'Don't do drugs,'" Miller said in a message to the community. "Users of narcotics probably don't always listen to police chiefs. What I will say — and I hope that, if you use narcotics, you will listen and if you have friends or family members that use narcotics you will tell them — is to be very careful what you are buying and what you are using.

"It may not be what you think. It may not be what you are told. It might kill you."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)