WILMINGTON — Police have responded to at least 40 heroin overdoses in the past month in Wilmington, eight of which were fatal. Police believe there have been more incidents that have gone unreported.
“The Wilmington Police Department [WPD] and Coastal Horizons Center are warning Wilmington residents and visitors that heroin overdoses have spiked in the past month … In several incidents, the users received life-saving measures from Emergency Medical Personnel and survived the overdose,” according to WPD.
The risk of overdose is not just limited to daily users; recreational users are also at risk of death, according to police.
“When heroin overdoses are on the rise, it can mean that inexperienced and recreational users are not able to tolerate the strength of the heroin being sold on the streets. The effects can be life-threatening, and those effects can also be further intensified to the point of being even more dangerous with other drugs – including alcohol,” Vice President of Clinical Services at Coastal Horizons Center Kenny House said.
Overdose totals have been on the rise in Wilmington, in 2017 there were a reported 243 overdoses, in 2018, 364 incidents, and already 162 in 2019.
The deaths attributed to these overdoses were 50 in 2017, 52 in 2018, and 28 already in 2019.
“Even for regular daily users of heroin, or other similar drugs (such as Vicodin and Oxycontin), these overdoses indicate that risk of death is at a high level. Regular daily users are encouraged at this time to seek medical assistance and treatment, rather than put themselves at continued risk,” according to WPD.
“While we are committed to arresting those who sell and possess illegal drugs we are also mindful of the need for treatment for addiction. We want to encourage heroin users as well as other substance abusers to seek help,” Ralph Evangelous, Chief of Police said.
