Twelve Sussex County overdoses in less than a week Three ODs fatal; Fentanyl-laced heroin batch suspected

BY ERIKA NORTON
SUSSEX COUNTY — Twelve people overdosed on heroin last week in the county. Nine were rescued by the timely use of naxolone. Three were not so lucky and died from the o v erdose, according to the Sussex County Prosecutor Francis Koch.
"In Sussex County, we have had 12 NARCAN deployments in less than one week," Koch said last Friday in a released statement. "To put that in perspective, in the past year, Sussex County has averaged 3 to 4 deployments a month, an approximate 1200% increase.  To add to this tragedy, 3 of those overdoses resulted in death."
Narcan is the brand name for naxolone, a nasal spray medication that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Koch said he suspected that a batch of heroin coming into the county may have been laced with fentanyl, an opioid substantially more powerful than heroin. He said drugs recovered from the overdose scenes had been sent to the state laboratory to learn what, if anything, they were laced with, and that authorities are awaiting the lab results.
While reiterating that the county suffers under the same opoiod epidemic plaguing the nation, Koch did not specify where the 12 overdoses took place or who wwere the three victims. Numerous calls to the prosecutor's office seeking further information have not been returned.
But independent reporting has revealed that five of those overdoses occurred in Vernon and four in Newton. Two of the Vernon ODs resulted in death, according to Vernon police.
The Vernon police also suspect fentanyl.
“It’s the same crisis that it’s always been,” Vernon Police Lt. William Fischer said, “The difference is the fentanyl alters the equation because it is 100 times more powerful than regular heroin. That's what the issue is. So they think they’re ingesting heroin, and they’re doing their normal amount, but the fentanyl pushes them over the edge.”
Fischer said that to the best of his knowledge, this is the first time Vernon police have seen fentanyl in the township.
Overdoses in NewtonThe same week in Newton, police were called to the same Halsted Street house three times on April 18, and saved four people from heroin overdoses.
According to police, on April 18, at 2:07 pm, Newton police responded to a Halsted Street residence on the report of an unconscious man. Officers found the 32-year-old man unconscious, unresponsive and in respiratory distress, displaying physical signs and symptoms consistent with a heroin overdose. Officers administered naloxone, a prescription medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and performed rescue breathing. The overdose was reversed and the man transported to the Newton Medical Center for further treatment by the Newton First Aid Squad. Paramedics from St. Clare’s also assisted at scene, authorities said.
While rendering first aid to the 32-year-old man, officers were alerted to another man in the house who was reported to be suffering from a seizure. Officers found a 31-year-old man to be unconscious and unresponsive in the hallway, also displaying the signs and symptoms consistent with a heroin overdose. The officers again administered Narcan, naxolone's most common brand name, and performed rescue breathing. The man was given oxygen and placed in the recovery position as he regained consciousness. He was then transported to the Newton Medical Center by Newton First Aid Squad, with paramedics from St. Clare’s again assisting, police said.
Nearly five hours later, at 6:49 pm, police were again called to the same Halsted Street residence, again on the report of an unconscious man. This time, police found a 28-year-old man in a bathtub unconscious, unresponsive and in respiratory distress. Officers used naxolone and rescue breathing, and this man too was taken to Newton Medical Center.
At 8:34 pm, police were again at the same house, this time on the report of an unconscious woman. The 47-year-old woman was also unconscious and displaying all the signs of a heroin overdose. The officers used naxolone and rescue breathing and saved the woman by reversing the overdose. She too was transported to the medical center.
"I don't think we've ever saved four in one day before, and at the same address," Newton Police Chief Richards said.
On Thursday, April 20, police arrested two Newton residents — Julie E. Taylor, 42, and Robert J. Agresta, 53. Each was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance; Distribution of a CDS; and Distribution of a CDS in a School Zone, authorities said.
Richards said the authorities' concentration is on nailing the dealers, and that the Halsted Street house was already on the police's radar.
Richards said this week that the department has not yet learned whether the heroin was laced. Richards is also involved with C.L.E.A.R., a multi-stakeholder education and intevention effort to combat drug abuse that he helped found. He said that even though many people in law enforcement, healthcare, education and social work have enumerated the dangers of opioid abuse, the message still must be sent out.
"We seem to get more people contacting C.L.E.A.R. following news stories about drug abuse," Richards said. "We just have to keep getting the message out there."
Last August, Orange County, N.Y. District Attorney David M. Hoovler issued an alert about fentanyl being found in heroin in the county.
Narcan accessLt. Fisher said that every Vernon officer on the road carries Narcan. All police departments in Sussex County have free access to Narcan through the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The medication is also now available at a number of major pharmacy chains throughout the state without a prescription, including CVS, Walgreens and ACME. The goal is to help New Jersey residents with loved ones struggling with addiction have Narcan on hand in the event of an opioid emergency.
Police also encourage residents to call for help if someone if someone suspects an individual is suffering from an opioid overdose. Since New Jersey enacted the Overdose Prevention Act, the law protects the caller and anyone providing assistance to the victim, as well as the victim themselves from most drug related charges.
Help for addictionThe Newton police, the Vernon police and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office encourage residents to seek help for themselves or their loved ones dealing with addiction, pointing to The C.L.E.A.R. program. Started in 2015 in response to the growing opioid epidemic in the county, the program provides county residents a place to find the treatment and recovery support they need.
Individuals seeking assistance can walk into the Newton Police Department between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and voluntarily surrender any drugs or paraphernalia they have without being arrested. Police can then help connect them with the help their seeking.
The C.L.E.A.R. Program can be reached at 1-844-SC-CLEAR (72-25327). More information can be found at www.clearprogram.org