N.H. EMS Say 28 Drug Overdoses, 3 Deaths Occurred in First Week of June

Emergency responders went to 28 reported drug overdoses in those eight days, 18 of them in the first four days of the month.

Hickey said it is possible the overdose increase is tied to a drug sweep in Lawrence, Mass., where 30 alleged fentanyl dealers were arrested on May 30.

Law enforcement officials said it was the largest fentanyl trafficking operation they had dismantled in Bay State history.

Over the past two years, Hickey said, emergency responders have noticed a pattern of upticks in overdoses after significant drug busts, including Granite Hammer operations. Two days after the Lawrence bust, drug overdoses in the city started to spike.

If some of those busted drug dealers were sources of supply in Manchester, Hickey said that forced users to find new sources for their drugs.

The users would not be accustomed to a new mixture of drugs, Hickey explained, and that could cause an overdose.

Hickey said June's numbers show one positive: More people are seeking help at Safe Station. On Wednesday, a new record was set when 15 people sought help for their drug addiction at Safe Station in a 24-hour period. He said it is possible that people are seeking help because they have no choice because their supplier has been arrested and they have no access to drugs.

"Anything is possible," he said.

Another encouraging statistic, he said, is that so far this month, the number of repeat Safe Station clients is down compared to new ones.

"This means that more people are talking about the success of this program and are coming in for help," he said.

Since Safe Station began on May 4, 2016, there have been 1,779 requests for help. Of those, 277 people were taken to hospitals; 347 were taken to Hope for New Hampshire; 1,153 were taken to Serenity Place.

Alderman Bill Barry said the opiate epidemic continues and everyone needs to work together to fight against it.

"We are not 'winning,' we are surviving," he said. "Safe Station is a small tool that we are using to help those that are willing to accept the fact that they have a problem.

"Keep in mind that a lot of the people that have visited Safe Station have been there several times. This is not a negative, it is actually positive," Barry said. "Sometimes it takes several attempts for someone to finally get to the point that they are sick and tired of being sick and tired."

pgrossmith@unionleader.com

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