EVERETT, WA - Authorities with the Everett Police Department (EPD) are sounding the alarm in an effort to make their residents aware of the continued dangers of fentanyl.
According to ABC News, officials confirmed that a baby has died and two others overdosed within the same week in separate instances in which fentanyl was left unsecured inside their residences. On Wednesday, April 24th, a 911 caller reported that a 13-month-old baby was not breathing in an apartment in Everett.
The baby was transported to the hospital where it later died, as announced by the Everett Fire Department. Officials said that the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the baby's official cause and manner of death. The Saturday before that, April 20th, firefighters were called to a residence after an 11-month-old was found unresponsive by the parents.
According to authorities, that baby was given naloxone before first responders arrived and provided further medical care. The infant was taken to a nearby hospital and has since been released. On Wednesday, April 24th, less than three hours after the other 911, another 911 caller said that a 6-month-old baby was having difficulty breathing. Firefighters arrived on scene and found the infant unresponsive. They administered medical care, including Narcan.
As of Thursday, April 25th, the baby was listed in stable condition at Seattle Children's Hospital. Police said that investigators do not believe either of these three incidents are connected. Due to the case still being under investigation, additional information on whether anyone has been arrested has not been released.
According to the press release, the misuse of opioids and fentanyl is a growing concern in the state of Washington and across the United States. Authorities said in the press release, "The City of Everett is deeply concerned about the increasing fentanyl overdoses that involve young children." Several reports have shown how notoriously powerful fentanyl can be, especially in powder form, which has increasingly been cut into heroin and other drugs.
Children remain especially vulnerable to overdosing, as ingesting even the smallest amount of the opioid's residue can be fatal due to their body size and lack of tolerance to the drug. The drug, which is often sold as a small, brightly colored blue pill, can look like candy to babies and children. According to the Seattle Times, in 2022, 38 children under the age of 18 died from an opioid-related overdose in Washington. That number is more than three times as many as in 2019. All but one were tired to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the state Department of Health data.
Fentanyl is up to 50 times as potent as heroin. It has fueled a skyrocketing number of overdose deaths in Washington and across the country. A record 1,082 people fatally overdosed on fentanyl in Washington in 2023, a 51 percent increase over record-setting 2022.
According to ABC News, officials confirmed that a baby has died and two others overdosed within the same week in separate instances in which fentanyl was left unsecured inside their residences. On Wednesday, April 24th, a 911 caller reported that a 13-month-old baby was not breathing in an apartment in Everett.
The baby was transported to the hospital where it later died, as announced by the Everett Fire Department. Officials said that the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the baby's official cause and manner of death. The Saturday before that, April 20th, firefighters were called to a residence after an 11-month-old was found unresponsive by the parents.
According to authorities, that baby was given naloxone before first responders arrived and provided further medical care. The infant was taken to a nearby hospital and has since been released. On Wednesday, April 24th, less than three hours after the other 911, another 911 caller said that a 6-month-old baby was having difficulty breathing. Firefighters arrived on scene and found the infant unresponsive. They administered medical care, including Narcan.
As of Thursday, April 25th, the baby was listed in stable condition at Seattle Children's Hospital. Police said that investigators do not believe either of these three incidents are connected. Due to the case still being under investigation, additional information on whether anyone has been arrested has not been released.
According to the press release, the misuse of opioids and fentanyl is a growing concern in the state of Washington and across the United States. Authorities said in the press release, "The City of Everett is deeply concerned about the increasing fentanyl overdoses that involve young children." Several reports have shown how notoriously powerful fentanyl can be, especially in powder form, which has increasingly been cut into heroin and other drugs.
Children remain especially vulnerable to overdosing, as ingesting even the smallest amount of the opioid's residue can be fatal due to their body size and lack of tolerance to the drug. The drug, which is often sold as a small, brightly colored blue pill, can look like candy to babies and children. According to the Seattle Times, in 2022, 38 children under the age of 18 died from an opioid-related overdose in Washington. That number is more than three times as many as in 2019. All but one were tired to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the state Department of Health data.
Fentanyl is up to 50 times as potent as heroin. It has fueled a skyrocketing number of overdose deaths in Washington and across the country. A record 1,082 people fatally overdosed on fentanyl in Washington in 2023, a 51 percent increase over record-setting 2022.
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Comments
2024-05-02T09:34-0400 | Comment by: David
Only in America.