ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul Police are issuing a warning to drug users after an unusually high number of overdose cases in recent days, including two deaths that could be drug related.
The department posted on its Facebook page that 28 suspected overdoses have been reported over the past six days. While investigators have not been able to establish a significant correlation regarding drug type or victim locations, 28 overdoses is nearly double the number averaged in recent weeks.
Police are warning users and those who care about them that narcotics currently sold on the street in St. Paul have an increased risk of adverse side effects and death.
They advise:
- If you or someone you know is actively experiencing an overdose, call 911 immediately
- If you have access to Narcan or Naloxone, you should keep it with you at all times
- If the suspected overdose is opiate related, administer Narcan/Naloxone and move the person to their side (recovery position)
- If the person does not respond, Narcan/Naloxone may be administered every 2-3 minutes as necessary
Police also remind citizens who might be concerned about helping an overdose victim of the Good Samaritan Overdose Medical Assistance Statute (604A.05A), which states that "a person acting in good faith who seeks medical assistance for another person who is experiencing a drug related overdose, may not be charged or prosecuted for that possession sharing or use of a controlled substance."
