Police: 60 people reportedly overdose in Hamilton County over the weekend
From Friday to Sunday, 60 people reportedly overdosed in Hamilton County.
As of Monday, at least 10 people died from suspected overdoses over five days, according to Newtown police Chief Tom Synan. Officials with the county's coroner's office said there have been three suspected overdose deaths since Friday.
"It's extremely important that we get the call as soon as possible when that person overdoses," Synan said.
Synan said the department hasn't seen numbers like this since 2016-2017, when fentanyl was identified.
"Sixty overdoses in a weekend was not uncommon in 2016-2017," Synan said. "It was not uncommon to have 40 in a day. If you think about that, that is constant running to save people's lives. That doesn't mean everyone gets into treatment so there's a chance that we'll be right back trying to save people's lives again."
Synan said the goal is to get users into treatment and eventually, recovery.
"It's not a matter of me or my first responders, my law enforcement to make a decision or judge. It's our job to try and save lives," he said.
Synan knows the battle is long term.
"Am I frustrated this weekend? Absolutely. Do we struggle with the decisions and do we struggle with the answers? Absolutely. But, the thing is, at least we're trying something," Synan said. "We're not giving up. We're going to try something and if it doesn't work, we're going to try something else."
In Hamilton County, Narcan is provided under a grant.
Synan said the financial donation is crucial in saving lives.
Synan works on the local and national level in the fight against heroin.