Portland community members were stunned by an incident where first responders saved eight people who had overdosed on drugs laced with fentanyl.
KGW-TV reported that all eight victims were in their late teens or early twenties, and they were discovered near the intersection of Park Ave. and Couch Street near a playground at about 10 a.m. on Oct. 2.
The victims had ingested a drug that was a white substance by snorting it. All eight victims were given Narcan by first responders, and all of them are expected to survive.
Four were hospitalized, but the other four refused to go to the hospital.
Rick Graves, spokesman for Portland Fire & Rescue, told KGW that they believed it was the highest number of overdoses in one call in the history of Portland Fire.
“If something hasn’t opened the window to where we are right now, this probably should,” Graves added. “I think we’re in a pretty significant situation with the use of these chemical substances on the streets that’s certainly unhealthy to those that are using it and the community that surrounds it.”
Robert Savage, a resident who works near the park, told KPTV-TV officials aren’t doing enough to prevent the overdoses. He said he has personally found victims at his office.
“Found three bodies gone. Overdosed,” he said.
“The fact that there were eight overdoses yesterday was horrific and yet, completely understandable in the scheme of things,” Savage added.
“I want to know why Multnomah County, the city of Portland, and the Joint Office isn’t releasing as much money as possible towards personnel on the street that can help solve this because I can tell you, they’re not,” he continued. “Nothing has changed in the last four years since I’ve been here. In fact, it’s gotten worse.”
Here’s a local news report about the mass overdose:
Mass overdose at Pearl District park the most Portland Fire has seen in a single call, official sayswww.youtube.com
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