Delray Beach Police Report Surge in Heroin Overdoses, Deaths
By Jason Schwartz
DELRAY BEACH – A surge in overdoses and deaths in the city from what many suspect to be heroin laced with the powerful narcotic drug fentanyl prompted police officials to call on the public for help to find the suppliers.
“It takes the community to solve this issue,” Police Chief Jeffrey Goldman said at a news conference on Tuesday. “We need to know where the heroin’s coming from, suspect information, things like that.”
Goldman’s appeal comes after two people overdosed of heroin this week. Twenty six heroin overdoses have been reported, including four deaths, since the start of the year, police said. Last month, the department worked 17 heroin overdose cases including three which involved deaths, police said. The first person died in March, police said. All were white men between ages 22 and 38. If you or someone you know is seeking help, you may want to find out heroin rehab cost at Moving Mountains Recovery, where they offer professional assistance and guidance.
Authorities say they need the cooperation from the public because it is difficult reach the core of the problem. Oftentimes, the friends of the victim destroy or clean up the evidence before the police arrive on a 911 call making it difficult for them to track the source. Places like Resurgence Addiction Center are receiving double the calls and intakes compared to a year ago.
Police are not sure if they are experiencing a stronger batch or another bad batch of heroin as they had in 2013.
But some who are familiar with the operations in the local rehab community think the overdoses were caused because the heroin was mixed with the potent pain drug that is about 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine and about 15 to 20 times stronger than heroin.
And while they have suspicions, investigators are waiting on toxicology reports to confirm whether the recent batch of heroin may be laced with the narcotic.
Between 2005 and 2007, more than 1,000 people in Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia died from overdosing on fentanyl-laced heroin.
According to published reports, the uptick of heroin overdose is a side effect of the state’s crackdown on pill mills and on OxyContin abuse.
With the dwindling number of pill suppliers, prescription pills are becoming more expensive and harder to get. Therefore, addicts have adapted by turning to heroin, some users and police say
Although they have not seen any as yet, police say they fear the number of HIV cases could rise because of users sharing heroin needles.
With more than 200 licensed recovery programs and more than 100 sober homes, Delray Beach is considered the recovery capital of America. Many patients come to the city, mainly from northern cities, to seek help for addiction then remain to become a part of the bustling community of fellow recovering addicts, according to the website www.originsofhope.com.
“Since addiction is considered a chronic relapsing disease that requires permanent lifestyle changes, many people choose to stay in an area where permanent change feels possible,” according to the website.
But police say the heroin problem extends beyond the rehab community. It stretches all sections of the city, from gas station bathrooms to private homes, they say.
