KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety says six people have died after a deadly batch of fentanyl was discovered circulating in the community on Thursday.
Kalamazoo public safety officers responded to more than a dozen overdoses and five deaths in the span of 24 hours on Thursday. One more death was reported on Monday, with two people in critical condition.
All are suspected fentanyl overdoses, says a spokesperson for KDPS.
READ: Kalamazoo police warn of deadly fentanyl batch circulating community
The department says officers are actively investigating the string of overdoses and working with the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) and other law enforcement agencies in the area.
🚨PSA🚨
— KDPS (@KalPublicSafety) April 13, 2023
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) has responded to over a dozen overdoses and five deaths in the past 24 hours from a deadly batch of fentanyl in our community. 🧵
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid approved by the Food and Drug Administration for pain relief and anesthetic. It is about 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency.
People can abuse the drug by snorting or sniffing it, smoking it, taking pills or tablets, and other ways.
Fentanyl can produce the following effects on the body:
- Relaxation
- Euphoria
- Pain relief
- Sedation
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Urinary retention
- Pupillary constriction
- Respiratory depression
Fentanyl overdoses can cause changes in pupillary size, cold and clammy skin, cyanosis, coma and respiratory failure causing death.
In March, the FDA approved the Narcan nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose in March. Now, it is an over-the-counter drug, available without a prescription.
Click here to learn more about how to respond to an opioid overdose and how to access Narcan in Michigan.
READ MORE: Red Project, other advocates react to Narcan becoming over-the-counter
OTHER RESOURCES:
If you have any information about the deadly batch of fentanyl in the Kalamazoo area or information about other illegal drugs, call Silent Observer at 269-343-2100 or submit a tip anonymously online.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can reach out to KDPS's partners at Integrated Services of Kalamazoo (ISK) at 269-373-6000 or Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health at 800-781-0353.
There is also free, confidential help through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 and through the Never Use Alone Hotline: 1-800-484-3731, which you can call if you're going to use— someone will stay on the phone and make sure you stay responsive and call for help if you become unresponsive.
Additionally, the state of Michigan offers substance use help by county. To find resources in your county, click here.
Shay Pounds, a certified peer specialist and recovery coach at the Recovery Institute of Southwest Michigan in Kalamazoo, told FOX 17 on Thursday the institute is also a place where people can come.
"One thing about Recovery Institute is most of us are peers so we have lived experience with substance use so we're able to, like, share our lived experience with them and give them that glimpse of hope, that recovery is possible even if they're not ready today...When you're ready, we're here for you. We're not gonna judge you."
