Doctor discusses increase of fentanyl deaths in Clark County

According to data released by the Southern Nevada Health District, deaths involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogs (drugs designed to mimic the pharmacological effects of fentanyl) are increasing in Clark County.

TO ALL SOUTHERN NEVADANS.."FENTANYL IS ABOUT 50 TIMESMORE POTENT THAN HEROIN ANDABOUT 100 TIMES MORE POTENTTHAN MORPHEINE"-63- PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROMFENTANYL...SO FAR... THIS YEAR..13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER AUSTINCARTER IS LIVE OUTSIDE THEHEALTH DISTRICT TONIGHT..AUSTIN...THERE ARE QUESTIONS IF THISUPTICK IN DEATHS...IS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC...I SPOKE WITH A VALLEY DOCTORWHO SAYS SHE CAN'T SAY FORSURE.BUT MUCH LIKE WHAT WE'VE SEENIN DURING THIS PANDEMIC- SOCIALISOLATION DOES COMEPANDEMIC- SOCIAL ISOLATIONDOES COME ALONG WITH ANINCREASE DRUG USE...AND WITH THAT INCREASE...THERE'S ALSO IN INCREASEDRISK...OF OVERDOSE DEATHS.CLARK COUNTY SAW...A 125-PERCENT INCREASE INFENTANYL-RELATED DEATHS SINCETHIS TIME LAST YEAR.THE HEALTH DISTRICT SAYS THISIS THE FIRST TIME THE COUNTYHAS HAD MORE DEATHS INVOLVINGFENTANYL THAN PRESCRIPTIONOPIOIDS.THE DATA -- IS UNSETTLING.BETWEEN JANUARY AND MAY OF THISYEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN 63 DEATHSINVOLVING FENTANYL OR FENTANYLANALOGS...DRUGS DESIGNED TO MIMIC THEEFFECTS OF FENTANYL.THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN 53 DEATHSINVOLVING PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS." FENTANYL IS ABOUT 50 TIMESMORE POTENT THAN HEROIN ANDABOUT 100 TIMES MORE POTENTTHAN MORPHEINE" DOCTOR KRYSTALRICCO - IS AN ASSOCIATEPROFESSOR OF PHARMACY PRACTICEAT ROSEMAN UNIVERSITY.SHE'S ALSO PART OF THE SCHOOL'SDRUG ABUSE AWARENESS TEAM.DR.RICCO SAYS FENTANYL IS USUALLYPRESCRIBED AS A TREATMENT FORPAIN RELIEF.ON THE STREETS - IT CAN BEINJECTED, SNORTED OR SMOKED.DR.RICCO SAYS UNFORTUNATELY - ALOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T FAMILIARWITH THE DRUG'S THEIRCONSUMINGCREATING A FATALCOMBINATION."WE'RE SEEING IT MIXED WITH NOTJUST OTHER OPIOIDS LIKE HEROINTO MAKE ITMORE POTENT, BUT CAN EVEN BEMIXED WITH METH OR COCAINE ANDSOMEONE COULD KNOWINGLY DIGESTIT" ONE-HUNDRED ANDSEVENTY-THREE CLARK COUNTYRESIDENTS HAVE DIED FROMFENTANYL SINCE 2018.MOST WERE MEN -- AND DEATHSPRIMARILY OCCURRED AMONG THOSEAGED 15-54 YEARS OLD.THE HEALTH DISTRICT AND THECENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ANDPREVENTION RECOMMENDS CARRYINGNALOXONE - OR NARCAN - WHICHCAN HELP REVERSE AN OPIOIDOVERDOSE."THIS IS BOX OF NALOXONE, ITHAS TWO NASAL SPRAYS THAT AREAVAILABLE WITHIN THEM, THESEARE FREE TO THE COMMUNITY"YOU CAN GET FREE NALOXONE HEREAT THE PHARMACY AT THE HEALTHDISTRICT LOCATED ON DECATURRIGHT NEAR THE 95.THERE'S ALSO MORE HELP ANDRESOURCES OUT THERE -- WE HAVEMORE ON THAT AT KTNV.COM.AC 13 AN.METRO HAS OFFICIALLY AGREED TOA FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT....WITH THE FAMILY OF A MAN....WHO WAS KILLED...