UPDATE: ‘We are in crisis’: Harrisburg mayor addresses deadly ODs, triple shooting
Crack cocaine and synthetic drugs connected to at least 18 overdoses, including four deaths, in the city of Harrisburg have initially tested positive for fentanyl, officials said Saturday.
Police sounded the alarm Saturday morning after getting repeated reports of overdoses downtown and in midtown that appeared to be connected. They learned of four overdoses within 20 minutes.
In all, the overdoses occurred from Friday night into Saturday morning over a span of 12 hours, officials said. Investigators tested materials found at the overdose scenes that found fentanyl, a highly potent opioid, according to Dauphin County officials.
People who thought they were ingesting crack cocaine or synthetic drugs instead got a product laced with fentanyl, police said.
Fentanyl inhibits neurons in the brain that help stimulate breathing. Unlike other opioids, fentanyl can cause muscle rigidity, tightening chest muscles and making it difficult to breathe, according to experts.
An overdose from fentanyl can happen in 15 minutes when smoked or in 20 minutes when taken orally, according to Therese Kosten, director of the University of Houston’s Addiction Research Program, who was interviewed by the Dallas Morning News.
Coroner Graham Hetrick has ordered expedited toxicology testing on the people in Harrisburg who died.
Treatment and recovery professionals are working through the city offering doses of the overdose-reversal medication known as Narcan, including at homeless encampments.
“Those using recreational drugs should be aware that the products known to them may contain particularly potent fentanyl,” said Randie Yeager, director of Dauphin County Human Services.
On Saturday, JFT Recovery contributed cases of Narcan that was actively being distributed in partnership with providers and Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area.
County officials said they would provide additional information on where people can get free doses of Narcan.
Individuals seeking to enter treatment or access services can call Dauphin County Drug & Alcohol Services 24 hours a day at 717-635-2254.
“Treatment is proven to work,” said Kristin Varner, director of Dauphin County Drug & Alcohol Services, according to a news release from the county. “We encourage phone calls to have the initial conversation about how to mitigate crisis and seek help for substance use disorder.”
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