Public Health Alert for Opioid Overdoses

Deschutes County Health Services and St. Charles Health System want to alert the public of a possible increased risk of accidental overdoses from heroin. This alert is being issued based on a cluster of serious drug overdoses in the past 36 hours. 

Health care providers have reported to Deschutes County Health Services that there are concerns the heroin may be laced with synthetic fentanyl, making the drug particularly lethal. The patients seen over the last day-and-a-half were critically ill and required unusually high doses of Naloxone (also known as Narcan) to be stabilized. 

Abstaining from drug use is the best way to eliminate the risk of overdose. If you are concerned about a person using drugs, you can ask them about their willingness to begin medication-assisted treatment or drug treatment. For a list of providers, visit the Stay Safe Oregon website at https://staysafeoregon.com/.

Be prepared. Get Naloxone. Save Lives. Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It can very quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped because of an overdose. You can get naloxone through these avenues: 

• Any pharmacist in Oregon can prescribe naloxone to you. Call ahead for availability.
• A medical provider can prescribe naloxone to you.
• People who utilize the Syringe Exchange Program can receive free naloxone, for details visit https://www.deschutes.org/health/page/syringe-exchange-program.

It is important to call 911 when someone is overdosing from opioids. If you use naloxone, the effects are temporary, and the person still needs to seek immediate medical attention. After the medication wears off, the person could fall back into a coma. If you call police or 911 to get help for someone having a drug overdose, Oregon’s Good Samaritan Law protects you from being arrested or prosecuted for drug-related charges or parole/probation violations based on information provided to emergency responders.

Health Services is working with community partners to conduct outreach to at-risk populations to share harm-reduction information.