Nearly 150 people died of fentanyl overdoses in Denver in the first six months of 2023, a 16% increase in deaths attributed to the potent opioid compared to the same time period in 2022.
Because of the rising fatalities, the city’s public health agency on Friday asked people who are going to use drugs to take precautions.
The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment reported 228 overdoses in the first half of the year, including 146 that involved fentanyl. It’s possible those numbers could rise as investigations into recent deaths continue.
In 2022, 453 people died of overdoses in Denver, including 244 that involved fentanyl.
Statewide, fatal fentanyl overdoses spiked in recent years, rising from 102 in 2018 to 920 in 2022, which was about the same toll the drug took in 2021. It’s not yet clear if overdoses will remain level or rise again in 2023, though, since they aren’t evenly dispersed throughout the year.
The Denver health department said law enforcement has reported increased availability of fentanyl powder, and that pills sold illegally have had a higher fentanyl content recently. Because fentanyl is so much more potent than heroin and other opioids, a small increase in consumption could cause an overdose, the department said.
So far, Denver hasn’t reported any overdoses involving the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine this year. Most people who die of overdoses with xylazine also took fentanyl or other drugs, but the drug has raised alarms in parts of the country because it causes severe flesh wounds and doesn’t respond to naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose.
People who are going to use drugs should designate one person to remain sober so they can administer naloxone, perform rescue breathing or call 911, the department said. Free naloxone is available at StoptheClockColorado.org.
While naloxone will reverse an opioid overdose, it doesn’t work on other types of substances, and rescue breathing can help keep a person alive until help arrives. There’s no harm in giving naloxone to a person who took another substance, though, and it can help if the drugs were cut with fentanyl.
Other precautions to reduce the odds of harm include using fentanyl test strips or taking a smaller amount of the drug, in case it’s more potent than anticipated, the department said. It’s also best to avoid using other drugs that slow breathing, like alcohol or anti-anxiety medications, when using illicit drugs.
For information on drug treatment, call the Denver Health community substance treatment line, 303-436-5711.
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