Coroner attributes fentanyl use to overdose deaths in Warren County

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Overdose deaths are up 61.5 percent from 2018. In 2019, 20 people died from drug overdoses. That number could increase because the coroner’s office is waiting on toxicology screenings on six bodies. In 2018, overdose deaths claimed 13 lives in Warren County.

Coroner Kevin Kirby said opioids and overall growth in the community are driving that increase.

Officials say fentanyl, an opioid often produced on the black market with no quality control, is an extremely dangerous drug much stronger than many other drugs and is a huge factor in overdose deaths in the area.

“People are using cutting agents in these drugs and all too often fentanyl is being introduced in there. And, again, it goes back to no quality control. They are cutting the drug, whatever it may be, so that they can make more profit and the dealer is not necessarily concerned about your health,” said Tommy Loving, Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force Director.

“We do see fentanyl as one of the causes of overdose deaths in Bowling Green. We’re seeing more and more of that as we are seeing that as a problem all the way across the country. We’re seeing more and more overdose deaths and you can see that in the numbers over the years, how they have increased,” said Kirby.

On top of the 20 drug overdoses in Warren County in 2019, law enforcement says Narcan was used numerous times, saving multiple lives, but Narcan isn’t a cure all. Narcan is a life-saving drug that counteracts the effects of opioids when administered during an overdose.

“You get to the point where, unfortunately, don’t remember because you die. It just shuts down and you do the shakes and then you’re out. And, when somebody sees that and the eyes and the foaming and the things that happen with that, if you’re not there close it doesn’t happen. You can’t wait 10 minutes and then give somebody Narcan and bring them back,” said Jerry Lucas, market manager for JourneyPure in Bowling Green, an addiction treatment center.

“Looking back in 2017 there were 18 overdose deaths. It decreased in 2018 to 13 overdose deaths, and we’ve had 20 this year,” said Loving.

Another drug making an appearance in the area is heroin, another extremely dangerous drug and another common cause of overdose deaths.

“There is more heroin coming into the community and again, you don’t know what that’s laced with or cut with or purity levels. If we begin to see more heroin, then I think we’re going to see more overdoses,” said Loving.