Law enforcement in the Fox Valley warning about the dangers of Fentanyl. They say even an extremely small amount of the drug can be deadly, and this isn't only a warning for drug users.
This comes after a Menasha Police Officer got sick while responding to a Fentanyl overdose. He survived after getting two doses of Narcan, an overdose reversing drug.
“I've been in drug enforcement 25 years and this is by far the most lethal drug that we've seen,” said Brad Dunlap with the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group, or MEG Unit.
Dunlap is referring to Fentanyl. A narcotic originally designed as a skin patch prescribed by doctors to relieve extreme pain.
"There's nothing that's killed as many people as this drug nationwide, so it's a huge concern,” said Dunlap.
Fentanyl is now being cut-up and mixed into other drugs like heroin, cocaine, even marijuana.
“The pharmaceutical drug is many, many times more potent than morphine and heroin all by itself,” he said.
Dunlap said Fentanyl first came on the scene about two years ago in the Fox Valley. They've seen numerous overdose deaths here and nationwide.
According to the CDC, roughly 9,500 people in the U.S. died from overdoses involving synthetic options other than methadone in 2015.
“At the wholesale level it's cheaper, at the retail level, it's being sold here in the Valley at the same cost which is about a tenth of a gram for $40,” said Dunlap.
But even a small amount can kill. Dunlap said extremely potent forms are hard to detect, as in the case of the Menasha Police Officer this week that was exposed after responding to a person not breathing. That person later died.
“When they got on scene, he wasn't in his vehicle, there wasn't drug paraphernalia on him, no drugs in the vehicle found, nothing that pointed us to a drug related thing,” said Menasha Police Chief Tim Styka.
Chief Styka said that's the problem sweeping the nation. Officers in many states are unknowingly exposed.
Thankfully, the Menasha Officer had training weeks ago on the overdose reversing drug, Narcan, and knew what he was experiencing.
“He actually remembers trying to reach out for the microphone to call for the ambulance and just having to struggle to get his hand on the microphone to key it up,” said Chief Styka.
Chief Styka said his department will be doing more to better analyze situations, even when drugs are not always apparent.
Both Chief Styka and Dunlap said there have been many discussions about ways to keep officers safe from Fentanyl exposure. He said the best way is to wear protective gear, from head to toe, but that is not a likely solution for first responders, when timing is everything.
Chief Styka said in law enforcement there’s always a calculated risk.
“You go to a gun call, you know the other person has a gun, when you're going to give CPR to someone to try and save their life that's probably not the time you're thinking it might end your life,” said Chief Styka.
It's not just officers exposed, it's the public as well. Dunlap said good Samaritans responding to someone not breathing are at risk. He said always assess the situation and call 911 before giving CPR. The same goes for a loved one giving Narcan.
Here are some symptoms of a Fentanyl overdose:
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Difficulty thinking, speaking, or walking
- -Blue- or purple-colored lips, fingernails, or extremities
- Difficulty breathing
He said the best thing to do is have a group of people around before approaching the person not breathing, that way if a responder is exposed to Fentanyl, others will be able to relay that information to EMS.
“You hate to use the term canary in the coalmine, but the person first going to lay their hands on this person that's what they're going to be,” said Dunlap.
And with Fentanyl use on the rise Chief Styka hopes more funding and training for the public will become available to tackle this growing problem.
