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The six spring breakers were found inside a vacation rental home in Florida after using cocaine that was laced with fentanyl, leaving one in critical condition inFort Lauderdale, authorities said.
Locally, law enforcement said they are seeing a "tremendous" number of fatal overdose deaths from drugs with fentanyl.
In Connecticut, police are grappling with a "crippling" number of overdoses.
"Unfortunately, this is a very timely topic," said Captain Richard Conklin of the Stamford Police Department. "Most of the time the people using the drugs, such as crack or cocaine, don't know that the drugs are laced."
Stamford has seen a steep rise in the number of overdose deaths directly related to fentanyl, Conklin said.
And the dangers aren't just linked to cocaine, Conklin added. Many times counterfeit pills such as Oxycodone or others have been made in a basement or kitchen operation and fentanyl is added.
One of the main problems with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is being added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous, officials added.
In the Hudson Valley, Rockland Sheriff's Office Chief William Barbera said drugs may contain deadly levels of fentanyl, and you wouldn’t be able to see it, taste it, or smell it.
"It's cheaper than heroin and many times the people who make these drugs, who aren't chemists, use too much," Barbera added.
Rockland County has also seen a large increase in the number of fentanyl-related overdoses, Barbera said.
"It's a true epidemic nationwide," he said.
In Dutchess County, the issue remains a "significant" problem.
“Unfortunately the drug issue remains a significant problem, and far too often we in law enforcement find ourselves dealing with tragic cases due to drug abuse," said Captain John Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office. "Drugs are harmful enough on their own, but when combined with other dangerous substances like fentanyl the results are very often deadly."
Officials with the Center for Disease Control says if you think someone is overdosing take these steps:
- Call 911 Immediately.
- Administer naloxone, if available.
- Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
- Lay the person on their side to prevent choking.
- Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose and save lives, the CDC said.
It is available in all 50 states and can be purchased from a local pharmacy without a prescription in most states.
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