MACOMB COUNTY

Macomb Co. reports high number of drug overdoses

Candice Williams
The Detroit News

The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday it is investigating a large number of drug overdoses in the last two weeks.

Deputies have responded to at least 10 incidents involving overdoses since Jan. 20, officials said. Most of the cases involved suspected heroin, or the drug mixed with another substance. One case involved suspected Oxycodone.

In most of the cases, deputies administered Naxalone, also known as Narcan, which can prevent opioid and heroin-related overdoses, and people were revived. One person could not be saved, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Following a high number of drug overdose calls, in May 2015 the Sheriff’s Office started the opioid overdose prevention program. There are 138 deputies who were given Narcan kits.

Since the program began, deputies have administered Narcan in 26 cases. As a result, 21 lives were saved, officials said.

According to state health officials, opioid- and heroin-related deaths have jumped. In 1999, 99 opioid-related deaths were reported; in 2013, the last year for which numbers were available, 840 deaths were reported.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

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