Emergency community meeting about increasing overdose deaths is Tuesday in Columbia

Columbia health officials are warning cocaine, meth and other drug users about the growing problem of fentanyl in the community.

Police Chief Geoff Jones says there have been at least 22 overdose deaths in Columbia since January, with seven happening in August and another four in September.

Columbia/Boone County public health assistant director Scott Clardy describes fentanyl as 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.

“You’ve got these drug dealers who are making these drugs with fentanyl because it’s so much cheaper than real cocaine or meth or ecstasy or whatever they want to use. And these people are buying these drugs and using them thinking that it’s the normal dose their body can take. They know their body can take it, they know they can get the high they want from it. And instead they get this fentanyl,” Clardy says.

Columbia Police and health officials plan an emergency community meeting for Tuesday night at 7 at Hickman High School. Narcan will be distributed at the meeting

Chief Jones and Mr. Clardy spoke this weekend on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Round Table.” Click here to listen to the full interview.