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SAN DIEGO – A warning was issued Friday after three people died in Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach following an overdose of cocaine related to fentanyl.
Three people died and two others survived an overdose after ingesting powerful drugs last weekend, according to San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan. The victims were between 30 and 47 years old.
Authorities did not disclose where the drugs were distributed or obtained. Various law enforcement agencies are investigating and no arrests have been made on Friday morning. Investigators said the drugs were probably sold by resellers.
It is impossible to know if a product contains fentanyl by looking at it. Pharmacies and resellers are not able to test it, according to DEA Special Agent Karen Flowers. Laboratory tests are the only way to determine if something is related to the deadly drug.
"Do not let your loved ones discover the test results at the morgue," Flowers said.
The DA office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego County Health and Social Services Department and the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office met to issue a public warning .
Deaths due specifically to fentanyl or fentanyl in combination with other drugs in San Diego County are on the rise. More than 80 fatal overdoses were reported in 2017, more than double in 2016. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, even in small doses.
"Two milligrams of fentanyl are a lethal dose for most people," according to the DA's office. "Fentanyl can be up to 50 times more potent than heroin, and overdoses may require an extra intake of Naloxone to reverse the trend."
Naloxone is a medication that reverses overdoses caused by opioids. Additional doses of naloxone are sometimes required to reverse fentanyl overdoses because of the potency of fentanyl.
People can call the San Diego County Access and Crisis Line at 888-724-7240 or 211 San Diego. Both resources are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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