The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services released troubling new information on the fentanyl overdose spiking across the Treasure State.
In just the last two weeks, the Montana Department of Justice reports at least eight fatal overdoses and 28 non-fatal overdoses in 13 counties including Silver Bow, Flathead, Gallatin, Lake, Missoula and Ravalli.
Western Montana law enforcement agencies are spreading an urgent message about the seriousness of the crisis plaguing the state.
The Polson Police Department is reminding residents about Good Samaritan laws protecting you if you help save a life.
The following was sent out by the Polson Police Department:
From multiple sources, there appears to be a spike in what is believed to be Fentanyl-related overdoses in 10 counties around the state. This is a notification to alert all public safety of an unusual number of opioid-related overdoses occurring in a short time span.
Since January 11th there have been at least 24 opioid overdoses identified, with at least 5 fatalities.
Many of these persons reported taking fentanyl prior to their overdose.
Counties where overdoses have been identified include:
- Cascade
- Custer
- Flathead
- Gallatin
- Lake
- Lewis and Clark
- Missoula
- Ravalli
- Silver Bow
- Yellowstone
Responders should be on alert and emergency services should assure they are carrying an ample amount of naloxone as we don’t know if this uptick in opioid-related overdoses will continue.
Fentanyl, a synthetic and short-acting opioid analgesic, is 50-100 times more potent than morphine and approved for managing acute or chronic pain associated with advanced cancer.
Non-Pharmaceutical Fentanyl (NPF) is sold via illicit drug markets for its heroin-like effect and often mixed with heroin and/or cocaine as a combination product—with or without the user’s knowledge—to increase its euphoric effects. The dosage on NPF pills is not regulated, so the user can never be sure of the amount of Fentanyl they are ingesting. While Fentanyl overdoses can be reversed with naloxone, a higher dose or multiple number of doses per overdose event may be required to revive a patient due to the high potency of NPF.
Illicit non -pharmaceutical fentanyl comes in numerous forms, but the most common forms are pills and powder. The most common form of illicit fentanyl in Montana currently, is pill form. Usually, the pill is blue and has M 30 pressed into it.
Fentanyl is ingested by smoking, injection, snorting, and taken orally.
Smoking is the most frequent method of ingestion and is often linked to overdoses in Montana.
Over the course of the last several months law enforcement agencies across the state have also seized “rainbow fentanyl”. Rainbow fentanyl also has an M 30 pressed into it but is available in numerous colors as seen above.
Do not use any pill or prescription drug you have not been prescribed. If you find pills or substances that you are unsure of do not touch them without the appropriate personal protective equipment. Fentanyl is absorbed through the skin and handling it can be harmful. If you believe you have ingested this drug or are suffering from an overdose, contact 9-1-1 immediately.
Some signs that may indicate an overdose:
- Small constricted “pinpoint pupils”
- Falling asleep or loss of consciousness
- Slow, shallow breathing
- Choking or gurgling sounds
- Limp body
- Pale, blue, or cold skin Drug overdose is a medical emergency.
Call 911 immediately if you suspect someone is experiencing a drug overdose.
The following was sent out by the DPHHS:
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and the Montana Department of Justice (DOJ), in conjunction with local law enforcement, have identified a sharp increase in fatal overdoses across the state in the last two weeks.
In this most recent surge from January 11 to January 23, a total of 28 non-fatal and eight fatal overdoses, likely due to opioids, have occurred in 13 different counties affecting individuals aged 24 to 60 years old. Identified overdoses occurred in Cascade, Choteau, Custer, Flathead, Gallatin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Missoula, Ravalli, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Yellowstone, and Mineral counties.
“Like states across the nation, Montana has seen an alarming rise in fentanyl and opioid use and, as a result, a tragic loss of life. As families grieve the loss of loved ones, I ask Montanans to help get the word out that one pill can kill,” Governor Greg Gianforte said.
To help combat these challenges, the governor has been focused on increasing Montanans’ access to recovery and treatment programs and cracking down on criminals.
In addition to making a $300 million, generational investment in behavioral health, the governor’s Budget for Montana Families boosts funding for the HEART Fund (Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment) by 50 percent, investing in a full continuum of behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment programs for communities.
To hold violent criminals accountable, the governor worked with Attorney General Austin Knudsen to fund 16 new highway patrol troopers and criminal investigators, as well as six new prosecutors at the Montana Department of Justice.
The governor’s budget also permanently funds eight treatment courts across the state that are losing federal funding.
In the recent surge, many of those who experienced an overdose were noted to have a history of substance misuse. Five of the eight fatalities involved females. Decedents were likely using opioids while alone and were found by bystanders too late for the successful application of the opioid reversal drug, naloxone.
Initial reports note the presence of pills, commonly referred to as M30 pills because of the way they are marked, which likely contain illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic, short-acting opioid analgesic intended to treat severe pain in individuals with cancer. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl are becoming increasingly common nationally, and in Montana, and are taken by people who misuse diverted prescription opioids as well as those who inject, smoke, or snort drugs.
According to DOJ statistics, seizures of fentanyl by law enforcement has increased dramatically in Montana; nearly three times more fentanyl was seized in the first three quarters of 2022 than in all of 2021.
A DPHHS Health Alert Network (HAN) message to local and Tribal Health Departments, EMS agencies, law enforcement and public health agencies was issued this week.
The HAN provides several recommendations, including having naloxone, an opioid-reversal agent – on hand for individuals at-risk for opioid-related overdose and family members and friends of those at-risk. “Naloxone is a life-saving tool that is widely used in Montana when someone is experiencing an overdose,” DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton said. “The timely administration of naloxone may successfully reverse an individuals’ symptoms and save their life.”