In a recent statement released by the Warm Springs Police Department – they are urging the community to increase their awareness of the synthetic drug Fentanyl and the toll it is taking on people in Warm Springs.
Of the overdose calls made to the Warm Springs Police Department between 2019-2023: 92% of overdose calls are related to fentanyl use, with 14% of overdose calls related to other prescription or non-prescription medication. Warm Springs Public Safety is concerned that the Fentanyl Epidemic is escalating.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. And, it is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S. According to the CDC, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets.
The University of Washington yesterday (Thu., Sep. 7, 2023) released the results of a six-month study that looked at fentanyl smoke on public transit in Portland and Seattle. The research team placed air monitors on buses and trains, including TriMet lines in the Portland metro, to examine levels of fentanyl and meth in the air and on surfaces.
They detected methamphetamine in 98% of surface samples and 100% of air samples, and found fentanyl in 46% of surface and 25% of air samples. Those samples contained “extremely small” amounts of the drugs which were “too small to produce physical effects” from the short time that riders would be on public transportation, according to a joint release from the Oregon and Washington Poison Centers.
