BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Asheville police responded to a call of multiple overdoses on Saturday in one of the suites at The Omni Grove Park Inn.
Police said they responded to the inn just before 7:30 p.m. for two patients who had possibly overdosed.
Four more people approached police with concerns about their own conditions. All of them were conscious and alert after first responders administered Narcan to them.
All six people were taken to the hospital to be evaluated and there is no word on their current conditions.
Officers responded to the overdoses just one day after Buncombe County health officials sent out an alert from their new spike alert system.
The warning cautioned about a “significant” increase in cocaine and fentanyl overdoses in the county, according to WLOS.
“It boggles the mind that fentanyl has become such a powerful player,” Bill Baxley, a former Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in North Carolina, said.
Baxley said he spent his career working with the DEA and said fentanyl is as involved in the state as it’s ever been.
Channel 9 reporter Susanna Black said the drug could have been the culprit behind the overdoses at The Omni Grove Park Inn.
“They had no idea they were taking something that could easily kill all of them, and it almost did. Thank goodness it didn’t,” Baxley said.
Baxley said there are many reasons for fentanyl’s rise and the subsequent increase in fentanyl-related overdoses.
He said the ingredients are easy to get, easy to make, easy to smuggle and extremely potent. So drug producers are choosing it to lace other street drugs like heroin and cocaine.
“The takeaway from this story is that everyone survived. That there was access to naloxone, that it was there at the scene,” Dr. Jennifer Carroll said.
Carroll is an anthropology assistant professor at North Carolina State University and a substance abuse expert.
She said the fentanyl issue is very real. And as long as it’s out there officials have to continue to fund harm reduction resources like Narcan.
“We have this substance. We’ve had it for five decades. Six decades. It costs pennies to make, and it reverses overdoses and brings people out of crisis in no time,” Carroll said.
The hotel shared the following statement in response to the incident:
“On Saturday night there was an unfortunate situation at the hotel. All guests involved were transported to the hospital, and the Asheville Police Department was present facilitating all necessary actions. We are unable to disclose or confirm specifics due to guest confidentiality. Our hearts go out to those who were affected, and we continue to work closely with health care and police officials.”
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