A “mass overdose” of three people occurred in a Carpentersville apartment Saturday, but all survived after being treated with Narcan, Police Chief Todd Shaver said.
The initial call was for one OD at a location on Oakcrest Drive, but police arrived to find three people who needed help, Shaver said. Two were transported to the hospital after being revived by naloxone nasal spray, which reverses the effects of opioid poisining.
The third refused additional treatment, and all three have refused to work with police or identify what drug or drugs they had taken, Shaver said. No drugs were found at the scene.
“Due to the lack of cooperation, no further details are known,” he said.
While he couldn’t say for sure, he guessed that fentanyl was involved, Shaver said.
“Unfortunately, fentanyl is used to mix with other illicit drugs to make the drug more powerful,” he said. “Due to fentanyl’s potency, only a tiny amount of fentanyl can prove to be deadly.
“In a lot of circumstances, we are called for a medical emergency and Narcan can be used and has helped save the lives of many of these individuals, sometimes more than once,” Shaver said.
The number of overdoses and overdose fatalities continues to rise in Kane County and around the country, in part because of the prevalence of fentanyl either taken on its own or with heroin or other opioids.
Last year, there were 419 opioid-related overdoses and 66 drug overdose deaths in Kane County, according to county data.
The numbers could end up being higher once the final determination is made on a few pending cases, said Michael Isaacson, executive director of the Kane County Health Department.
Overdoes have been climbing since 2016, according to the Opioids in Kane County report.
Between January 2016 and December 2021, there were 2,247 opioid-related overdoses treated at Kane County facilities and 391 opioid-related deaths, numbers show.
Fentanyl deaths increased from 24 in 2016 to 65 in 2021, and now another drug is making an appearance, Isaacson said. Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer used by veterinarians, is being mixed in with drugs like fentanyl and cocaine.
It was responsible for one death in 2021 and six in 2022, he said.
“It’s nasty stuff that stretches out the high but makes it more likely someone will overdose,” Isaacson said. Known as “tranq,” it also causes open wounds, he said.
The Kane County Health Department is working on getting naloxone to as many people as possible because of its ability to reverse overdoses involving opioids and “tranq,” Isaacson said.
“We want to make that as widely available as possible,” he said. Through state and federal funding, the health department is making it free to anyone who wants it, he said.
One grant went to Lighthouse Recovery in St. Charles for a Narcan vending machine, Isaacson said.
“It’s starting to be seen in different places,” especially now that it’s been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter sales, he said. It may also be included in first aid kits because it’s a lifesaving measure, he said.
The health department is also creating systems that support the transition from active drug use to treatment and recovery, Isaacson said.
Grant money from state and federal programs is being channeled to community-based groups working to end on the opioid epidemic and trying to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths, he said. Right now they have 15 active projects with organizations throughout the county, he said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
