23 Santa Rosa residents dead in 2022 so far from fentanyl overdoses. What can be done?

Officials from across Santa Rosa County met Tuesday to address drug use and addiction issues in the community, particularly the increasing incidence of fentanyl.

Dan Schebler, director of operations for the District 1 Medical Examiner, said so far in 2022, they have already seen about 500 cases in which drugs were in the body during autopsy, and in roughly 300 of those the drug was the cause of death.

"The primary drug that we see is fentanyl. And just in Santa Rosa County this year, there have been 23 cases of overdose deaths of fentanyl ... that was the cause of their death. So it certainly is a problem," Schebler said. "It's something that's growing year over year."

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Mark Stavros, the medical director in the emergency department at HCA Florida West Hospital, said there is no way to visually discern when certain items have been laced with fentanyl, and spoke to the fact that it has infiltrated the drug scene in a large way.

"This (fentanyl) is being created in a different country, brought into the United States and then released in everything. So, if somebody may have a meth problem, the meth they have has fentanyl. If they go with cocaine, it's going to have fentanyl," Stavros said.

Stavros argued the community as a collective needs to recognize that addiction alters the way the mind functions.

"It's a chronic disease. It has relapses," Stavros said. "Do people that have diabetes sometimes relapse and eat inappropriately? Yeah. It's a chronic relapsing disease. If treated well, we can manage it. If we don't treat it well, it can actually lead to worse outcomes (or) premature death. And so, if we think of it that way, addiction really falls into that disease category."

Those in the medical field are not the only ones noticing the uptick.

"In about the first six months in 2022, our overdoses we've responded to have risen probably 175%. Our Narcan usage has doubled," said Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Deputy Shane Tucker.

Tucker said every deputy carries Narcan with them, the brand name for Naloxone, a nasal spray used to treat people suspected of opioid overdose.

"Overdoses are happening predominantly on fentanyl, but we're seeing heroin, methamphetamine and prescription medications as well," Tucker said. "But with the introduction of fentanyl, overdoses have certainly been more severe and more chronic."

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All of those officials were candid that, moving forward, the way to tackle addiction and drug issues in the community involves coordination from every facet.

"If we can help the people that are around the person struggling, while a facility helps the person struggling, then that person stands a much better chance at long-term success," said Brad Garraway of recovery support group Clear Path Interventions. "I think the biggest gap in the whole recovery industry is the focus on the families is left out."

This is not the first time local officials have been ringing the alarms about fentanyl in the area.

During the first-ever State of the Medical Examiner District presentation in May, Dr. Deanna Oleske cited several concerns including an aging and cramped facility at odds with an increasing need for the office's services, all while there has been difficulty filling positions.

District One is the only district in Florida without a facility dedicated to the medical examiner.

Staff have said all of these factors are things that affect their ability to complete their duty.

"This is a problem that we've all got to tag-team as a community: the police, the medical community, the education, the politicians," Tucker said, adding that the entity that can have the most impact is family.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 23 Santa Rosa residents dead so far in 2022 from fentanyl overdoses