Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "There has been a silent killer in our community during COVID."
Erie County has recorded an alarming and tragic number of deaths relating to opioid overdoses with residents suspected of having involvement with cocaine and fentanyl.
Since the start of the 2022 calendar year, there have been 42 confirmed opioid-related overdose deaths in Erie County. Since May 13, at least 12 deaths had been suspected with the involvement of cocaine and fentanyl. However, there are more than 100 other cases that are pending toxicology results in the Erie County Medical Examiner's office.
The alarming numbers of recent opioid overdose deaths prompted representatives from Erie County government and community partners to join forces on Thursday to share important warnings to prevent overdose deaths and save lives.
"We want to keep Erie County residents alive. Everybody needs to stay alive," said Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein during Thursday's press conference. "Substance Use Disorder is a chronic disease of the brain. Overdoses and opioid-related deaths are not limited to just one part of our community, they are happening everywhere in Erie County. This is a public health issue, and we approach it as we do any other chronic condition: by putting forward primary and secondary prevention strategies that reduce harm and save lives.
"We are not powerless against overdoses and opioid-related deaths. These are preventable, as long as we have the knowledge and the tools."
In 2021, Erie County registered 286 deaths for residents relating to opioid overdoes, with 40% of those deaths associated with cocaine laced in fentanyl. Sadly, it is part of a trend that is only increasing, especially recently with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"You have heard me say numerous times that I think that it is intellectually lazy to blame everything on COVID in our society. I don't mean to do that, but the numbers speak for themselves," said Erie County District Attorney John Flynn on Thursday. "We bumped up to 246 in 2020, and then last year 286, and then this year we're on pace for over 300, back to our original peak of 2016. I don't think it's being intellectually lazy to say that the COVID pandemic has had a direct impact on our opioid epidemic."
The Erie County Department of Health is urging folks who use opioids, cocaine and other risky substances to reduce risk of an overdose and death to follow five steps:
1.) Carry Narcan
2.) Never use alone
3.) Test your drugs for fentanyl
4.) Seek support
5.) Seek treatment
Meanwhile, the District Attorney's office has recently been dealing with more cases relating to cocaine where the drug is being laced with fentanyl. Flynn and his office have pushed back hard and cracked down on fentanyl in the County since 2017, and that will now include instances of fentanyl-laced cocaine going forward.
"Let me be clear: The zero tolerance policy that I established on prosecutions with dealers, not with users, but with dealers back in 2017 when it came to fentanyl, it is now being used with cocaine in my office," Flynn said. "If you're a cocaine dealer and you are lacing your cocaine with fentanyl, you are going to be prosecuted to the fullest extent by my office, and you will go to jail. It's as simple as that."
Hear more from both Dr. Burstein and Flynn in the player below: