Police report 6 suspected drug-related deaths in 36 hours

After the Metropolitan Police Department reported six suspected drug-related overdoses in a 36-hour period, the public is reminded of the ongoing risk fentanyl poses to the community, the Southern Nevada Health District said in a news release.

The deaths were report between Sept. 25 to 27. According to Metro, four out of the six drug overdoses were preliminarily identified as fentanyl overdoses. Between January and July 2022, there were 110 fentanyl overdose deaths among Clark County residents. In 2021, there were a total of 225 fentanyl deaths; 191 deaths were reported in 2020.

“We want everyone to be aware that fentanyl is continuing to take a toll on community,” Dr. Fermin Leguen, district health officer for the Southern Nevada Health District, said in the release. “In addition to raising awareness about the risks of synthetic opioids, residents should know that there are resources available to them that can help prevent a fentanyl or opioid overdose.”

The Health District and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend people who are at risk of opioid overdose as well as family members, friends or other individuals who can assist a person at risk should carry naloxone — also known as Narcan — an opioid-antagonist that can be administered to help reverse opioid overdoses. A newer Health District program provides fentanyl test strips, tools that can show if fentanyl is present in a pill or powder, the release said.

Contact Tony Garcia at tgarcia@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307. Follow @TonyGLVNews on Twitter.