'Hopefully people will see this as a wake up call,' Erie County overdose deaths linked to cocaine

Leaders in Erie County are warning about a continued increase in the number of overdose deaths, but this time, there's a new trend.

LEADERS IN ERIECOUNTY AREWARNING ABOUTANOTHER CRISISHAPPENING RIGHTHERE AT HOME.THE COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT SAYS SOFAR THIS YEAR... 44PEOPLE HAVE DIEDFROM OPIOIDOVERDOSES IN ERIECOUNTY.ANOTHER 127 DEATHSARE PENDING.IF THOSE DEATHS ARECONFIRMED ASOVERDOSES..

THATWOULD BRING US TO171 OPIOID DEATHS ASOF JULY 28TH.COMPARE THAT T156 OPIOID-RELATEDDEATHS IN ERIECOUNTY FOR ALL OFLAST YEAR.AND NOW --AUTHORITIES ARESAYING THE PANDEMICCOULD BE DRIVINGTHIS SURGE INOVERDOSE DEATHS.HERE'S 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTERTAYLOR EPPS.SANDRA "YOU DON'TKNOW WHO ISAFFECTED YOU DON'TKNOW WHO'SSTRUGGLING AND YOU."NEW NUMBERS FROMERIE COUNTY SHOW ACONTINUED INCREASEIN THE NUMBER OFOVERDOSE DEATHS..BUT THIS TIME,THERE'S A NEWTREND.BURSTEIN "WE'RESEEING A NEWPOPULATION OFPEOPLE WHO AREVICTIMS IN OUROVERDOSE DEATHS.THESE ARE PEOPLELIKE MY AGE, PEOPLEIN THEIR 40'S 50'S ANDEVEN 60'S, THEY'REPROFESSIONAL ANDTHEY'RE FOUND ATHOME ALONE."BURSTEIN SAYS THETREND IS LINKED TOTHE PANDEMIC..PEOPLE ARE HOMEALONE AND USINGDRUGS TOCOPE...SPECIFICALLYCOCAINE.MARK "WE KNOW NOWTHAT COCAINE ISBEING SPIKED WITHFENTANYL TO THEPOINT THAT SOMECOCAINE IS ALLFENTANYL AND IT'SBASICALLY ANINSTANTANEOUS DEATHFOR THE INDIVIDUALWHO INGESTS IT."WHEN OVERDOSEDEATHS REACHED APEAK IN ERIE COUNTYIN 2016..15 PERCENTOF THOSE DEATHSWERE ASSOCIATEDWITH FENTANYL ANDCOCAINE..IN 2020 SO FAR...THATMIXTURE MAKES UPNEARLY HALF OF ALLDEATHS.OBRIEN "HOPEFULLYPEOPLE WILL SEE THISAS A WAKE UP CALL.THAT DOSAGE YOU MAYTAKE TODAY COULD BEYOUR LAST."TAYLOR "BECAUSE OFTHIS, DR. BURSTEINSAYS THE COUNTY'SOPIATE TASK FORCEWILL BE CHANGING IT'SAPPROACH WHENDEALING WITH THESEISSUES."BURSTEIN "SO WEWANT EVERYBODY TOCARRY NARCANWHENEVER THEY CAN.THE COVID IS STILLHERE, WE STILL HAVETO WEAR OUR MASKS.OUR OPIOID EPIDEMICIS STILL HERE, WESTILL HAVE TO BEARMED WITH OURNARCAN."THERE ARE ALSOMANY TREATMENTFACILITIES IN OURAREA THAT CAN HELP.BUT MANY AREWORRIED ABOUT A 31PERCENT CUT INFUNDING.OBRIEN "THERESOURCES ARETHERE RIGHT NOW,BUT THEY'VE ALREADYBEEN SUFFERING,THEY'VE ALREADYADAPTED TO THECOVID CRISIS, BUT WEDO NOT WANT TO SEEANY SERVICES SUFFERRIGHT NOW, SO REALLYTHE TIME FORADVOCACY IS RIGHTNOW."COUNTY EXECUTIVESARE CALLING ON THEFEDERALGOVERNMENT FORHELP.IF YOU NEED HELP,YOU CAN TEXT FORNARCAN AT 716-225-5473.

AND YOU CANCALL THE CRISISSERVICES ADDICTIONHOTLINE AT 831-7007.IN BUFFALO, TEPPS,7EWN.