[diggler]

Police confiscate powerful painkiller fentanyl in LaPorte

Stan Maddux Times Correspondent

LAPORTE — It appears the deadly combination of heroin laced with the powerful painkiller fentanyl has found its way into LaPorte.

At least six overdoses have occurred in the LaPorte area since intelligence first developed last week that heroin mixed with fentanyl had crept in, said Harlan Williams, LaPorte Metro Operations coordinator.

The mixture of the two highly addictive opiates is suspected in each of the cases and could have played a role in a half-dozen other people overdosing during a two-week stretch prior to that, authorities said.

Less than 5 grams of fentanyl were recovered Sunday night during the arrest of a 39-year old LaPorte man who emerged as a target from a ramped-up investigation intended to quickly cut off the source.

Williams said fentanyl used illegally originates from Mexico and overseas and from people selling a portion of their medication prescribed to them.

Police agencies from as close as the Indianapolis area have intercepted shipments of the drug intended for illegal purposes.

“It was just a matter of time before it showed up in our community. We’ll be rooting it out and hopefully stay on top of it from this point forward,” Williams said.

All of the people overdosing recently survived.

Had it not been for opioid reversing drug Narcan, the death toll could have been extreme, officials said.

“It’s almost a guaranteed death when you combine the two,” said LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan, a first responder and firefighter for the city of LaPorte and Cass-Clinton Township fire departments.

According to police, fentanyl comes in a variety of forms and the kind seized from the man taken into custody during a traffic stop in LaPorte was in a powder obtained from Chicago.

When taken in prescribed amounts, fentanyl is an effective painkiller for patients dealing with serious medical conditions like cancer.

However, it doesn’t take much to overdose on fentanyl, blamed for the recent death of music icon Prince.

Sullivan said he was involved in the recent resuscitation of two young people who after cutting up fentanyl patches placed them between the cheek and gum for quick absorption into the bloodstream.

LaPorte Fire Chief Andy Snyder said the recent spike in overdoses is about double the number that has occurred during previous high points.

He said first responders are also doing things like watching closely for any used syringes or powders and making sure rubber gloves are worn to avoid fentanyl being inhaled or having contact with the skin.

“Just be vigilant. That’s all we can do. Keep our eyes open and make sure that we use personal protective equipment to its fullest,” Snyder said.