At the recent meeting of the Tompkins County Public Safety Committee, Legislator Rich John discussed the near doubling of 911 calls related to overdose, a dramatic increase confirmed by both Legislator Travis Brooks and Undersheriff Jenn Olin.
Monthly calls to 911 for overdose poisoning have increased to 57 from an average of 32. While not all calls are opioid related, the increased volume was noted as an indicator of a larger trend. September 2022 saw the largest number of 911 calls for Poisoning/Overdose since at least 2018.
“In one of the programs that I supervise, the numbers are are more than double what they were this time last year for just the participants in that particular program,” Legislator Brooks said in response.
“It does seem that we are seeing trends going up which is really unfortunate,” Legislator John observed.
Undersheriff Olin explained that her September Opioid Report noted a trend of Narcan either not being effective or multiple doses of Narcan having to be administered to bring the person back to consciousness.
“At the same time other service providers…started reaching out to me seeing the same trend,” Olin said.
A public safety alert was issued by the Sheriff’s Department last month regarding ‘tranq dope,’ thought to contain the animal tranquilizer Xylazine.
Xylazine’s effects are not reversed by Narcan, which must still be administered to overdose victims due to Xylazine’s frequent combination with Fentanyl in street level narcotics.
Olin also described a new initiative begun on September 7th, where inmates released from the jail are given a bag containing Narcan and Fentanyl test strips.
“We started distributing bags out to people getting released from the jail, and within that bag Narcan is provided as well as Fentanyl testing strips as well as other items that were identified between medical staff and REACH which would help people transition from the jail back into the community,” Olin explained. “We’re trying to get inventive.”
REACH Medical is a harm reduction organization that offers services for Opioid Use Disorder.
Introduction of a vending machine to distribute Narcan was also proposed, based on similar initiatives in other communities aimed at reducing overdose deaths.
Legislator Brooks responded to Legislator John’s inquiries about the status of the Opioid Task Force.
Brooks explained that it is being formed currently, with assistance from Legislator Shawna Black, and intends to meet for the first time on October 28th. Brooks will chair the Opioid Task Force.
Olin also stated that in October, Tompkins County had seen at least two overdose related deaths.
The full meeting of the committee can be viewed here.
