Narcan supply replenished in Marion

MARION – After its supply of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone was depleted by a series of nine apparent heroin overdoses since Wednesday, the Marion City Fire Department obtained new doses Friday morning, fire Capt. Wade Ralph said.

"I talked to Jody Demo-Hodgins this morning," Ralph said, referring to the executive director for the Crawford-Marion Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services. "I said, 'Hey, Jody, we've got a problem.' "

He said the eight overdoses in the city reduced the fire department's supplies of Narcan, a commercial brand of naloxone, to two vials plus two vials that are kept on each of the department's emergency squad vehicles.

By lunchtime Friday, Demo-Hodgins had provided 32 vials, or 2 milligram doses, to the fire department, he said.

According to officials, one of the overdoses, which was on Benzler Road, resulted in the death of 19-year-old Bailey Witzel, which was reported to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. She was taken to Marion General Hospital, where officials said she was pronounced dead in the emergency room.

Chief Deputy Al Hayden said the overdose was reported at a house of Witzel's friend, saying she was unresponsive. He said the overdose was suspected to have been heroin.

The fire department uses Narcan to counteract heroin and prescription pill overdoses.

This latest rash of overdoses occurred between 7:38 p.m. Wednesday and 12:37 p.m. Friday, according to Marion Police Department records.

Police Lt. Chris Adkins said the unusual activity has the police department detectives covering a wider variety of calls than is typical.

"Right now, it's been absolutely crazy," Adkins said. "We're doing everything we can to track down leads. We're trying to stay ahead of it. Obviously, it's created a large media frenzy."

The police department posted a warning Thursday evening about a "particularly bad batch" of heroin "circulating in the city." As of Friday evening, the post had been shared 2,167 times on Facebook.

Police Chief Bill Collins said he had the warning posted to try to spread the word quickly to heroin users and their friends and acquaintances to save lives. During a roughly three-hour period Thursday afternoon, the city fire department used Narcan to save the lives of five people, he said.

"We're wanting to get the word out," Adkins said Friday, adding the department did not expect the amount of media interest from outside Marion. "We've spent a lot of the day dealing with that."

He said the department is sending detectives out "on any calls that might involve drugs. Generally that doesn't happen, but we want to see what we can come up with."

He said while victims of overdose can have another overdose after the effects of the naloxone wear off, "Generally, the hospital keeps them for a period of time to make sure that doesn't occur. Unfortunately, we don't have the manpower to stay with them throughout their calls. We make sure they're safe and move on."

jjarvis@marionstar.com

740-375-5154

Twitter: @jmwjarvis

Area overdoses

The following are the times and locations of the overdoses reported to the Marion Police Department:

•7:38 p.m. Wednesday, 258 Leader St.

•11:58 a.m. Wednesday, 278 Clinton St.

•1:31 a.m. Thursday, 4201 Benzler Road

•1:56 p.m. Thursday, 381 Fahey St.

•3:47 p.m. Thursday, 334 Pearl St.

•4:28 p.m. Thursday 478 W. Columbia St.

•4:36 p.m. Thursday, 316 Girard Ave.

•8:08 p.m. Thursday, 492 Silver St.

•12:37 p.m. Friday, 274 Marion Ave.