Lincoln County officials see spike in fentanyl deaths

A recent spike in fentanyl overdose deaths in Lincoln County has officials again warning residents of the deadly drug.

Victim/Witness Coordinator Kathleen Sheffield broached the subject Wednesday at the county Commission meeting while discussing the proclamation for International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31.

“Montana had 143 overdose deaths in 2021-22 and autopsies aren’t typically done, so it’s possible the number is higher,” Sheffield said.

Sheriff Darren Short said in a phone interview with The Western News Friday that he knew of at least five overdose deaths in the county this year.

“There’s been a spike the last two months and they’ve been the result of black market pills,” Short said. “The people who have died have been in their 20s and 30s.

“With the pills, you never truly know what’s in the black market pills and sometimes they are 100% fentanyl,” Short said.

County Coroner Steve Schnackenberg confirmed Short's figures. He also said deaths have occurred across the county.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a pain reliever and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin as an analgesic.

In 2021, officials from the Centers for Disease Control said 199 people died of drug overdoses in Montana, a rise from 162 in 2020. In 2021, 62 of those deaths were due to fentanyl poisoning.

CDC officials say drug overdoses are preventable and people can help reduce the risk of overdose involving counterfeit pills by only taking pills prescribed to them, being aware that pills bought illegally might contain highly potent drugs and using fentanyl test strips (FTS), small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in all different kinds of drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, etc.) and drug forms (pills, powder, and injectables).

Narcan, also known as naloxone, a opioid overdose spray, is a medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose.

County Public Health Manager Jennifer McCully said naloxone and fentanyl test strips are available for anyone in their office at 418 Mineral Avenue in Libby. People can also call 406-283-2463.

“People can come in learn how to use it,” McCully said.

Commissioner Josh Letcher said he hoped there were education efforts happening at local schools.

“I think seeing and hearing about the effects of what happens can be a powerful deterrent,” Letcher said.

Sheffield said area schools would be doing drug awareness campaigns soon during Red Ribbon Week events in schools at the end of October.

At a community meeting in April, local officials explained how the synthetic drug can be fatal. According to information from Lincoln County Unite for Youth, fentanyl poisoning is the No. 1 cause of death in people ages 18 to 35 in the county. There have been two confirmed fentanyl poisoning deaths in the county since November 2022.

One county teenager overdosed from an unidentified opioid and was revived with the use of Narcan, a medicine that can quickly reverse an overdose.

At the April meeting, Brandon Holzer, a detective with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, explained how fentanyl can be so dangerous to so many people.

“Mexican cartels and street dealers call them Skittles or Mexican Blues,” Holzer said. “They are being made to look like common prescription medications.”

Holzer shared the tragic story of a woman from Troy who died from fentanyl poisoning on Feb. 17.

“Her mother found her dead in bed,” Holzer said. “She wasn’t selling drugs, but she was using. She had a Narcan package with her, but she couldn’t get it open in time.”

One of the other things compounding the problem is xylazine, a drug that is also being cut into fentanyl. According to the Food and Drug Administration, xylazine is an animal tranquilizer that is used as a sedative and pain reliever. It is not safe for use in humans and may result in serious and life-threatening side effects that appear to be similar to those commonly associated with opioid use, making it difficult to distinguish opioid overdoses from xylazine exposure.

The FDA says it doesn’t know if side effects from xylazine exposure can be reversed by naloxone (Narcan).

Holzer said a 2022 DEA report showed 23% of powdered fentanyl and 7% of fentanyl pills had xylazine in them.

For more information, call the sheriff’s Office at 293-4112, ext. 1236 or 1267.

The county Health Department can be reached at 283-2465.