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In the past eight days, officers on Long Island have responded to at least nine overdoses that led to six deaths, largely in Suffolk County, including multiple fatalities in the North Fork and Shelter Island.
Officials said that anyone who may have purchased cocaine in the past few weeks on the North Fork or Shelter Island, or knows someone who has, to safely dispose of the products out of precaution.
Police said that fentanyl, which is at least 50 times more potent than heroin, is often added to cocaine for a greater high, which can easily result in a potentially fatal overdose.
According to the Department of Health, the presence of fentanyl in the New York drug supply has dramatically increased the number of overdose deaths, and fentanyl is now the most common drug involved in overdose deaths. In 2017, 800 New Yorkers died from overdoses involving fentanyl.
In response to the recent overdoses, the Town of Southold plans to offer Narcan training this week through Zoom meetings at 10 a.m. each day, with an in-person training session planned for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19 at the town’s recreation center.
To participate, people may log onto the Southold Town Website to find the Zoom link for each meeting. After each training session, Narcan kits will be available by calling Denis Noncarrow at (631) 765-1889.
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