Fentanyl: Contributing To The 76 Overdose Deaths In Vanderburgh County In 2017

Opioids are still a major problem, but reports of a new drug in the community have officials concerned.

With 76 overdose deaths in Vanderburgh county, coroner Steve Lockyear says a mixture of drugs are to blame; prescription pills, meth, and even alcohol, but one drug more potent than morphine has started to make its way into Vanderburgh county, leaving a trail of death in its wake.

“People are dying, falling down on tops of themselves when they are doing this and they don’t understand the dangers of it.”

Vanderburgh county coroner Steve Lockyear says fentanyl has played a part in many of the 76 overdose deaths in Vanderburgh county in 2017.

In many of those cases, Lockyear found a common thread, “mixed medications, a lot of different drugs. Very seldom do we see someone die from just a single drug in their system.”

But it is fentanyl that has authorities’ attention for now.

“It can be more than 100 times more powerful than morphine, and that is the dangerous part of these clandestine labs that are making this is when you buy this off the street, you have no idea what you are getting.”

The Evansville fire department is working to combat the drug epidemic sweeping the nation.

“We have used it 164 times since then.”

Keith Current -EMS manager with the Evansville fire department says his crews have been working with Narcan since April, 2017.

Their most critical tool in the fight against Opioids, the Narcan-Nalaxone kit. Current says can saves lives if administered quick enough.

“If you can get this into their system, as soon as somebody realizes there is an issue, it will generally turn them around in really about 3 minutes.”

Steve Lockyear says the average age for an overdose in Vanderburgh County is 39.8 years old.

White Caucasian males are the biggest demographic affected, second to African-American, and thirdly Hispanics.

Narcan-Naxolone can be prescribed by a doctor, or bought over the counter.

The fire department carries two Narcan kits on their truck, but says it only works on opioids, not the potent fentanyl.

Even when Narcan is able to save lives, coroner Lockyear sees the destruction drugs leave behind.

“We spend 175,000 dollars a year in this office just in testing and autopsies for these so it very quickly becomes a burden on the tax payers and that doesn’t even include the cost of the funerals and how this affects families.”

Which is why Lockyear says the fight starts at home.

“So it may take a family member to ask a friend, somebody keep an eye on them and make sure you get them the help they need. there are resources out there and go that direction, not the direction of coming to this office.”

Amanda Porter

Reporter and Anchor for 44News

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