2 dead in overdose spike in Sussex County

Two people are dead after nearly two dozen people overdosed in Sussex County over a three-day period this weekend.

Since 1 a.m. Thursday, 20 people were given naloxone for heroin overdoses in Sussex County, according to Jill Fredel, director of communications at Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. Of the 20 cases, 15 occurred in western Sussex County.

The outbreak claimed the lives of two Seaford men. The most recent was a man believed to be in his 40s. His death was preceded by the death of a man believed to be in his 50s on Friday. Both men’s names and ages have not been released by DHSS, pending notification of next of kin, Fredel said.

During the same time, Kent County and New Castle County accounted for eight suspected drug overdoses, she said.

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Patrolman 1st Class Christopher Story with the Laurel Police Department wouldn’t say if a "bad batch" of the drug was going around in Sussex County. Though he did say police agencies in the area are actively trying to determine the cause of the overdose spike.

“At this time, we don’t know if these are all the same stamps linked to the overdoses,” he said. “We are still trying to identify.” Most heroin bags (or wax baggies) are marked with a “personal stamp,” to reflect the dealer or the area.

He did say there has been an increase in calls over police dispatch this past weekend related to overdoses.

Beginning Thursday, emergency crews responded to seven reported overdoses in a 24-hour period in the Seaford and Laurel areas.

Last month, four fatal overdoses hit New Castle County in five hours.

Fredel stressed the importance of treatment for those battling the addiction epidemic. The Department of Health and Social Services offers a 24/7 Crisis Helpline at (800) 345-6785 in Sussex and Kent counties, or (800) 652-2929 in New Castle County for people seeking drug treatment. Additionally, there are two drug addiction treatment centers in Delaware, in New Castle and southern Kent counties.

“If someone calls us and says ‘I’ve been on heroin for months, or years …’ we will work with them to first get them to a detox (center) and then into a residential treatment facility,” she said.

Anyone who witnesses an overdose is asked to call 911. Under Delaware’s 911/Good Samaritan Law, people who call 911 to report an overdose, cannot be arrested for low-level drug crimes.

Michael Barbieri, director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, alerted treatment providers statewide of the surge in overdoses in western Sussex. Hospitals and urgent care centers were notified of the increase by the Division of Public Health’s Emergency Medical Services, which oversees the state’s paramedic service.

“This spike in overdoses is alarming,” said Dr. Kara Odom Walker, cabinet secretary for DHSS and a family physician. “Even one use of heroin or another opioid can end a life.”

The National Prescription Drug Takeback Day on April 29 will give Delawareans a safe way to dispose of prescription drugs at local police departments and other participating agencies. The goal is to both rid homes of addictive medications and educate citizens on the potential for misuse of these drugs.

In a high percentage of cases, Fredel said discarded prescription painkillers kept in homes are “sometimes the gateway, unfortunately, for people to experiment with heroin down the road.”

“We want to get the medication out of people’s houses … purses … medicine cabinets … drawers and just give people a safe way of disposing of them,” she said.

The statewide effort run in conjunction with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has resulted in the collection of more than 60,000 pounds of medication, Fredel added.

“The way Delaware comes out of the heroin epidemic is restricting people from getting addicted in the first place,” Fredel said.

Additionally, multiple police departments and select Walgreens are accepting unused or expired medication. A full list of drop-off locations in Delaware can be found on the Drug Enforcement Agency's website: deadiversion.usdoj.gov.

DHSS reports in 2016, 308 people died from overdoses in Delaware, almost triple the number who died in traffic accidents.

In 2015, a total of 228 people died from overdoses in Delaware, six more than the 222 overdoses deaths reported in 2014.

On Friday, Sgt. Richard D. Bratz, director of the Public Information Office for the Delaware State Police, reported that as a result of the spike in heroin overdoses, the Sussex County Drug Unit is actively investigating and seeking information on any of the drug overdoses.

Police ask anyone with information to contact Sgt. M. Dawson of the Sussex County Drug Unit at (302) 752-3815.

Prevention, treatment and recovery information and resources in Delaware and nearby states also are available on DHSS’ www.HelpIsHereDE.com website.

STORY: Police: Woman sold heroin from Bear-area home

Contact Alonzo Small at (302) 324-2856 or asmall@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @P_AlonzoSmall.