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4 dead in Roanoke, Salem after overdosing on fentanyl
Not all at once.
4 dead in Roanoke, Salem after overdosing on fentanyl
Posted: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 8:45 pm
By Amy Friedenberger
[email protected]
981-3356
Some of this year’s drug overdoses in the Roanoke area may have been caused by fentanyl, a powerful painkiller, Roanoke County police said.
Roanoke County police spokeswoman Amy Whittaker said Tuesday that since May 1, law enforcement from Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem have responded to 11 overdose incidents — three fatal. Another person was left in an irreversible coma and later died from a medical decision made by relatives, Whittaker said in a news release.
The Virginia State Laboratory tested two products, both of which were found to be nearly pure fentanyl, Whittaker said. All three people who died and the person who fell into the coma used one of the two products.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl typically amplifies the potency of heroin or cocaine. The Drug Enforcement Administration describes fentanyl as being nearly 100 times more potent than morphine as an analgesic. It frequently results in higher overdose incidents.
By Amy Friedenberger
[email protected]
981-3356
Some of this year’s drug overdoses in the Roanoke area may have been caused by fentanyl, a powerful painkiller, Roanoke County police said.
Roanoke County police spokeswoman Amy Whittaker said Tuesday that since May 1, law enforcement from Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem have responded to 11 overdose incidents — three fatal. Another person was left in an irreversible coma and later died from a medical decision made by relatives, Whittaker said in a news release.
Interviews with survivors indicate that each had purchased and used a product believed to have been heroin, Whittaker said.
The Virginia State Laboratory tested two products, both of which were found to be nearly pure fentanyl, Whittaker said. All three people who died and the person who fell into the coma used one of the two products.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl typically amplifies the potency of heroin or cocaine. The Drug Enforcement Administration describes fentanyl as being nearly 100 times more potent than morphine as an analgesic. It frequently results in higher overdose incidents.
