[ad_1]
Captain Michael Duxbury, Alaska rider, speaks at a press conference on Wednesday, September 5, 2018 in Anchorage, Alaska. Duxbury summarized the data presented in the annual report on the soldier's drugs, according to which deaths from fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, more than quadrupled last year. (Rachel D'Oro / Associated Press)
According to a new report, overdose deaths in Alaska, related to fentanyl from synthetic opioids, more than quadrupled last year.
The Alaska State Troopers released its latest annual report on drugs Wednesday, saying the general problem of illicit drugs continues to worsen. With that came associated crimes, including robberies, burglaries and violence.
According to the report, 37 people died of overdoses involving fentanyl and related synthetic opioids in Alaska in 2017. In 2016, there were eight deaths related to fentanyl.
"We do not have as many numbers," said captain Michael Duxbury during a press briefing on Wednesday. "But I do not think it matters to anyone who has lost a parent, a parent who has lost a child."
A very small amount of fentanyl can kill, said Duxbury, commander of the national anti-drug unit. The amount of fentanyl seized last year equates to more than 24,000 lethal doses, according to the report.
Heroin, which can sell up to $ 1,000 per gram in remote communities in Alaska, is frequently cut with fentanyl. Fentanyl has also been added to methamphetamine and cocaine, Duxbury said.
Given the small population of the vast state, even seemingly small numbers are added. For example, since 2012, Alaska has had one of the highest per capita death rates in the country for prescription opioid overdoses, said Duxbury.
Authorities say that Alaska is a destination country, with opioids and other illegal drugs manufactured elsewhere and brought north by Mexican drug gangs and cartels. The substances are transported to the state by the courier, the parcel services and the airlines.
To stem the influx of drugs, soldiers work with federal law enforcement agencies and other partners, such as tribal entities, mental health professionals, schools and religious groups.
Last year, Governor Bill Walker stated that opioid abuse is a public health disaster and proposed to spend existing federal grants for a multi-year program of naloxone distribution, a drug that may help prevent overdoses. State legislators have approved a medical prescription for the naloxone program until June 2021 instead of just extending the declaration for another year.
___
Follow Rachel D'Oro on https://twitter.com/rdoro
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
[ad_2]
Source link
