State issues warnings in the wake of 8 fatal overdoses linked to fentanyl
Montana authorities have issued a warning, stemming from a sudden spike in fatal opioid overdoses in the past two weeks, leading to the deaths of eight individuals in six counties, ranging from ages 24 to 60 years old.
The overdoses follow a continuing trend in the state of overdoses that mirror a national rise in fentanyl overdoses. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and is often found with other illicit drugs.
A joint news alert from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services along with the Department of Justice put out the notice because of the sharp rise in deaths.
The statistics released by the state do not take into account the number of overdoses treated by health officials and law enforcement officers that were not fatal.
From May 22 to June 1, there were eight fatal overdoses, including in Cascade, Custer, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark and Yellowstone counties. “Nearly all” of the individuals were known to have a history of drug abuse and six were male. DPHHS said that all of them were likely using opioids alone and were found by bystanders.
DPHHS reports that blue pills marked with “M30” likely contain illicitly manufactured fentanyl. In addition to being a powerful opioid, fentanyl is quick acting and is used to treat severe pain in individuals with cancer.
“Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl are becoming increasingly common nationally and in Montana,” the department said.
In addition to the number of people overdosing on the drug, Montana law enforcement has begun intercepting more illegal fentanyl. More fentanyl was seized in the first three months of 2022 than the last four years combined.
Moreover, there was a 112% increase in fentanyl-related cases from 2021. The number of deaths due to fentanyl was 41 in 2020, but that number more than doubled in 2021 to 87.
“The Department of Justice is working to get fentanyl off the streets and continuing to track the crisis closely. We know the dangerous drug is being smuggled in from Mexico and making its way to Montana where it’s destroying lives at an unprecedented rate,” said Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen. “Please, do not take pills that were not prescribed to you and talk with your children about the extreme risk associated with opioids and drug abuse.”
In 2021, there were 836 opioid overdose-related 911 responses by ground transporting EMS agencies – an average of 70 per month. July 2021 had the highest number of opioid overdose-related 911 responses with 92. Naloxone was documented in 364 of the 836 cases.
As the opioid crisis swept through the country, Montana’s had fallen, but then sharply rose in 2020. From 2008 to 2017, opioid overdoses declined from a death rate of nearly 8 per 100,000 Montanans to just above 2. That largely mirrors a 14% decrease in the state’s opioid prescription rate from 2014 to 2019, according to a 2019 Montana opioid report.