Boulder police are investigating a possible tainted or new strain of drugs following a series of apparent fentanyl overdoses.
According to Boulder police spokeswoman Dionne Waugh, officers responded to five reports of fentanyl overdoses over a two-day period. Three were reported on Tuesday with another two being reported on Wednesday.
Waugh said so far there have not been any reported deaths. But in at least two incidents, police found people unresponsive and had to deploy naloxone, commonly known by its brand name Narcan, to revive the patients.
“We are currently investigating this unusually high number of overdoses and asking for the public’s help with any information,” Boulder police wrote in a tweet.
Officials with the Boulder County Drug Task Force said they have not yet seen a similar spike in unincorporated areas of the county outside Boulder.
In the past 36 hours Boulder Police have responded to five suspected fentanyl-related overdoses in the city and want to warn the public that there could be a new type and/or a tainted strain of fentanyl on the street.
We are currently investigating this unusually high number of…
— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice)
“Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing our communities,” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement. “The dealers who prey and profit off addiction must be held fully accountable, as we have done previously in this jurisdiction. We strongly supported last year’s changes to the fentanyl distribution statute. The maximum sentence for causing a fentanyl-related death was increased significantly; the penalty for causing a death went from six years to a possible maximum of 32 years.
“Our state has taken positive steps to address this crisis in a comprehensive manner, including much-needed funding for Narcan and treatment, but there is more work to be done and there are lives at stake.”
Anyone who has any information on who might be supplying these drugs is asked to call Boulder police at 303-441-3333.
Dougherty pointed out that Colorado’s Good Samaritan law grants immunity from prosecution when a person “reports, in good faith, an overdose to the police or medical personnel and the person remains at the scene and cooperates with the first responders.” The immunity also extends to the person who suffered the overdose.
“The purpose of the law is to save lives, and it has proven successful in Boulder County and throughout the state,” Dougherty said. “Instead of running in fear, people can help their friends without fearing legal consequences.”
Resources
Overdose prevention and response:
Locations that sell Naloxone:
