44 Heroin, Drug-Related Overdoses in Sarasota Prompt Plea

SARASOTA, FL — With 44 overdoses resulting in eight deaths since July 1 within the city limits alone, officials in Sarasota joined forces Thursday to issue a plea to the public to help stop the heroin epidemic.

According to the Sarasota Police Department, the 44 overdose calls were related to suspected heroin use and other drugs. While an accused major distributor of Carfentanil, Darryl Hall, 31, of Bradenton was brought into custody in August, calls about overdoses keep coming in.

In hopes of raising awareness, police, Sarasota County EMS, First Step of Sarasota and a First Step graduate came together for a press conference Thursday. The aim was to get residents more involved in the fight against heroin.

"We're seeing people selling Fentanyl and Carfentanil as heroin and cocaine,” said Sarasota Police Lt. Randy Boyd. “Users are unaware that it's not heroin or cocaine. People are dying in our community. We have to bring awareness to this crisis.”

People with information about possible drug activity within the city limits are asked to call the Sarasota Police Department Narcotics Tip Line at 941-954-7050. Callers can remain anonymous, the police department said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that heroin use has more than doubled among people age 18 to 25 in the past decade. More than nine in 10 people who use heroin also use at least one other drug, according to information shared by Sarasota police. More information on heroin abuse in the United States can be found on the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/heroin/.

For help with substance abuse problems, people can call 1-800-622-HELP. The First Step Treatment Center in Sarasota can be reached at 941-366-5333.

Heroin is an ongoing statewide concern.

In the first half of 2015, “deaths caused by heroin increased by 114.8 percent (171 more) compared with the first half of 2014,” according to a Florida Medical Examiners Commission report released earlier this year.

Heroin-related deaths are also a concern in nearby Manatee County. That county had more heroin overdose deaths per capital in 2014 than any other in the state. It is often considered the epicenter of the state's heroin epidemic.

The Florida Medical Examiners Commission report outlines the number of heroin-related deaths by medical examiner districts, rather than county. In the Tampa Bay area, the number of deaths between January and June 2015 were reported as follows:

• Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties – 34 with 29 of those deaths attributed to heroin and 5 with heroin present
• Hillsborough County – 19 with 17 deaths attributed to heroin as the cause and two with heroin present
• Pinellas and Pasco counties – 8 with 7 attributed to heroin and 1 with heroin present

Statewide, 343 deaths with heroin involved were recorded between January and June 2015. Of those deaths, 320 were caused by heroin, the state’s report said.

Nationally, it is estimated that 125 Americans die from drug overdoses daily.

To view the entire Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners Interim Report 2015, visit the Florida Department of Law Enforcement online.

To see the Sarasota press conference, watch the video below:

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