Fentanyl cases continue to climb

On Tuesday afternoon, rescuers responded to an address in Glenbrook for a potential fentanyl overdose.

While the person revived, dispatchers were careful to obtain positive confirmation from each of the responders that they were aware the drug was involved.

A half-dozen people in Douglas County succumbed to accidental fentanyl overdoses during 2023, according to coroner’s statistics revealed on Jan. 26.

The deaths accounted for all but one of the overdose deaths handled by the Sheriff’s Office’s deputy coroners during the year.

The Sheriff’s Office started tracking fentanyl when the drug started turning up in large amounts in the county in 2021, when there were 17 instances involving the drug.

The Douglas County Street Enforcement Team first encountered fentanyl in May 2021 when they found a gram.

In November 2021, the team seized 10 fake M-30 pills containing the drug.

The number of cases rose to 31 in 2022, including three dealing with trafficking amounts. In October of that year, a drug buy involving the drug resulted in five deputies being exposed to the point where they had to be hospitalized.

At last week’s Douglas County Board of Health meeting, Sheriff Dan Coverley said the 42 cases in 2023 also saw the volume of the drug seized in the county increase, including seven trafficking cases.

“We are getting more cases, and more fentanyl,” he said.

On Jan. 23, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office reported two San Francisco residents were arrested with 17.03 pounds of fentanyl. Authorities estimated that was sufficient for 3.8 million lethal doses, enough to kill every man, woman and child in the Silver State.

Even as Douglas deals with more and more fentanyl an even more lethal drug is on the horizon.

Carsfentanil is used to tranquilize elephants and other large mammals and is reportedly 100 times more potent than fentanyl, according to Partnership Douglas County Executive Director Daria Singer.