WEEKEND COULD BOOST DEATH TOLL FROM DEADLY HEROIN MIX, MEDICAL EXAMINER SAYS

Wayne County officials today are bracing themselves for a weekend
wave of fatal overdoses by people who unwittingly use heroin and
cocaine laced with a potent prescription drug.

At least 106 people died between September 2005 and March in Wayne
County after using drugs laced with fentanyl, a synthetic pain killer
often given to cancer patients.

Officials suspect that eight overdoses Friday and four on Thursday
were suffered by people who unwittingly used the deadly combination.
Weekend drug use is higher than during the week, said Wayne County
Medical Examiner Dr. Carl J. Schmidt.

The medical examiner said pushers are adding fentanyl to the drugs
they sell to give a bigger high. "We hope the average drug user
thinks about what he is doing when he buys heroin," Schmidt told The
News today. "You think you are buying heroin, but in reality, you are
buying something that can kill you."

Wayne County issued a health advisory Friday about the danger,
alerting hospitals, other healthcare providers and agencies that
cater to drug users.

But Schmidt said it could be next week before the county finds out
about anymore overdose deaths. Many users take their drugs alone and
in vacant buildings. It could be days before they are noticed to be
missing or families can track them down, he said.

"Often you do not find out until later the next week," Schmidt said.

The 12 latest victims have been men and women in their 20s to 40s
from communities across Metro Detroit, Schmidt said. Autopsies have
been performed and Schmidt is waiting for toxicology tests to be
completed. That process could take a month.

"I am certain some of them were from fentanyl," Schmidt said

Investigators from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
Atlanta on Monday will come to Detroit to investigate and add to the
CDC's database about such deaths. Similar overdoses are a problem in
large cities across the East Coast and Midwest.

On May 13, 22 people in Chicago who tried a free sampler pack of
heroin wound up in emergency rooms because fentanyl was mixed with
the drug. One person died. More than two dozen other deaths have been
reported recently in eastern states such as Delaware and New Jersey.

"These deaths represent the tip of the iceberg," said Allan Clear,
Executive Director of the Harm Reduction Coalition, in a press
release. "Thousands of fatal overdoses occur every year - but we can
reduce overdose deaths by giving drug users information, training, and tools."

On May 10, the New York City-based coalition called for a national
advisory such as the one Wayne County issued Friday. The coalition is
made up of doctors and others who help rehabilitate addicts and other
drug users.

Coalition officials said a preventative approach is best. But if that
is not possible, there are other drugs such as Narcan that can be
used as antidotes. The drug is administered in emergency rooms
nationwide to help reverse overdoses. The coalition advocates passing
it out so people have it in the event of an overdose.

"Research shows that overdose prevention programs are safe and
feasible," said Dr. Sharon Stancliff, the coalition's medical
director. "These are mainstream public health strategies that can save lives."

Spreading the word is key to saving lives, said Sharon Banks
spokeswoman for Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.

"This is a public health concern," she told The News today. "We have
to ensure that the word is out to everyone. This is an emergency and
we do not take this as business as usual or this is just what they
(drug users) get. We have to reach out and stem this tide."