Dangerous Heroin in Local Circulation: Rockland DA

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe and Clarkstown Police Chief Michael Sullivan today issued a dangerous drug threat alert related to several recent overdoses in local communities.

They’re linked to an extremely potent batch of heroin being distributed in Rockland County that may contain fentanyl, a narcotic that is 100 times more potent than morphine.

The fentanyl-laced heroin is believed to be the cause of several reported overdoses in Rockland and at least one death in New Jersey.

“If you know someone who is using heroin please make an effort to get them help through our substance abuse centers like the Rockland Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence Inc.,” said Zugibe.

From Jan. 1 through June 10 this year, Clarkstown police responded to 28 reported heroin overdoses and administered Narcan in 20 of those incidents.

Given the clear trends, Sullivan said, it’s expected that Clarkstown—and the county overall—will experience a steep increase in overdoses in the next few months.

“If it wasn’t for Narcan we would have a public health crisis,” Sullivan said.