(WGHP) — The number of local deaths attributed to fentanyl has increased over the past decade, and lacing street drugs with fentanyl has become more common.
This synthetic opioid is up to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin.
The National Center for Death Research and Prevention investigated more than 1,300 deaths among children ages 1 to 17 and found that 84 percent of them were caused by accidents.
Last week, a toddler accidentally ingested fentanyl in Thomasville and paramedics administered naloxone, or Narcan, to revive the child.
Alamance County sheriff's deputies resuscitated a toddler this month after he had ingested fentanyl.
Fentanyl comes in several forms, but agency lawmakers say it's increasingly being used in compressed tablet form.
“It's a big issue…because of the carnage that was left behind,” said Lt. Craig Stevens, an investigator with the Alamance County Sheriff's Office.
Approximately 15,000 people died from synthetic opioid addiction in North Carolina from 2013 to March 2023, according to data from how North Carolina death certificates are encoded.
Guilford County had 823 deaths during the same period, with a 2021 high of 188. Forsyth County had 603 deaths during the same period, with a high of 150 in 2022.
In Alamance County, where Stevens works, 226 people died in 2021, the highest at 50.
“We've had some instances of methamphetamine and cocaine being cut with fentanyl,” Stevens said.
Fentanyl is so powerful that a dose that fits on the tip of a pencil can be lethal to an adult, and is guaranteed to be lethal to a child.
This month, a near-fatal incident occurred for a child in Alamance County.
“Our deputies were able to administer Narcan and administer life-saving measures before emergency personnel arrived on scene,” Stevens said.
Every sheriff in Alamance County, as well as thousands of other law enforcement agencies and school districts across the country, have Narcan on hand and are always ready to use the tool to reverse overdoses.
“I can guarantee you that most of our patrol officers have received multiple doses in their patrol cars,” Stevens said.
When asked if he ever imagined law enforcement would be the first line of defense in an overdose situation, the veteran agent paused.
“No, there's a lot of pressure. A lot of the players here are very strong. They do a lot every day and keep moving forward,” he said.
Stevens says deaths from opioid addiction have been on the decline in recent years, but it's difficult to determine what's behind it.
“We saw a decline again, and I hope we can explain why. Narcan has become more available. People have a better understanding of Narcan,” Stevens said. .
Pressed pills that look like regular pills may contain fentanyl and are on the rise, Stevens said.