Syracuse, N.Y. – Fentanyl, a potent synthetic drug, continued fueling an increase in opioid overdose deaths in Onondaga County during the first six months of 2021.
The county reported 93 opioid deaths in the first half of the year, up from 86 reported during the same six-month period of 2020.
Fentanyl was involved in 85 of the 93 deaths, according to numbers from the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office posted on the county health department’s website.
The 8% increase in opioid deaths comes on the heels of a record-breaking number of overdose deaths locally and nationally in 2020.
There were 156 opioid deaths in Onondaga County last year, up from 127 in 2019, a 23% increase. Drug overdose deaths nationally rose nearly 30% in 2020 to a record 93,000.
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is showing up in nearly all street drugs, including non-opioid drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines, according to Dr. Ross Sullivan, medical director of Helio Health, a Syracuse addiction treatment program.
The people who use these drugs are often unaware they contain fentanyl.
“Cocaine users are dropping dead from fentanyl,” Sullivan said. “You have an unstable drug supply and an unstable population of people.”
Fentanyl is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine. A 2-milligram dose can be deadly, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Sullivan said no one knows for sure why fentanyl has become so pervasive in the drug supply. Dealers may be mixing it intentionally with other drugs or it may be happening because of cross contamination in the drug manufacturing process, he said.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also contributed to the increase in opioid deaths, he said. During the pandemic some in-person services were replaced with telehealth. “People are going to less counseling sessions,” he said.
Sullivan said there are enough drug treatment programs in the Syracuse area, but the community needs to focus more attention on teaching people how to use Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal drug that can save lives.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that drug users and their loved ones always have Narcan on hand. Multiple doses may be needed in overdose cases involving fentanyl.
The CDC also recommends:
- Calling 911 if you see someone overdose.
- People should not use drugs when they are alone.
The Onondaga County Health Department has a list of local treatment facilities listed on its website. People can also call 2-1-1 for help finding services.
James T. Mulder covers health and higher education. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com