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Delco D.A. warns public after Marcus Hook woman dies of Fentanyl overdose
Rose Quinn
Delaware County Daily Times
3.20.14
Pure fentanyl claimed the life of a 30-year-old Marcus Hook woman, authorities said Thursday as they renewed a warning against the powerful synthetic opioid.
“These drugs are manufactured in clandestine labs by criminals, and every single packet has the potential to kill the user,” Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said in a prepared release. “Those who believe they are purchasing heroin end up with a much more dangerous drug that is 100 percent pure and, when ingested, rapidly shuts down the central drive for breathing, resulting in death.”
Whelan was joined by Delaware County Medical Examiner Dr. Fredric Hellman and Marcus Hook Police Chief John Ireland in warning against using the substance branded “Black Dahlia.”
According to the D.A.’s office, Hellman said toxicology results returned on March 19 indicated the recent death of the Marcus Hook woman was “the result of the intravenous administration of pure fentanyl.” Her death marked the first case in 2014 involving pure fentanyl.
The name on the packet is “Black Dahlia,” and the substance was packaged in a blue glassine packet with red lettering. Fentanyl can come in the form of powder, pill or patch and has been known to be snorted or injected into the bloodstream.
“The use of this lethal drug will result in death,” Whelan said.
In June 2013, Whelan issued a similar warning about fentanyl following the deaths of two Delaware County residents the previous month. In both instances, authorities found packaging stamped “Flashback” in red ink.
Whelan said a joint investigation by county detectives and the Marcus Hook Police Department is under way to determine “the facts and circumstances surrounding the (Marcus Hook) woman’s death” earlier this month.
“We are backtracking, looking to develop information on the source, as well as other people who may be involved,” Whelan said.
Ireland reiterated the severity of the situation.
“It’s important to get this life-saving message out,” the chief said.
Thursday morning, Whelan was in Philadelphia for a quarterly meeting of the Philadelphia/Camden High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (PCHIDTA) — a collaborative law enforcement program that according to its website is funded through the Office of National Drug Control Policy, part of the Executive Office of the White House.
The PCHIDTA — one of 28 designated around the U.S. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — is comprised of more than 30 participating federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Their goal is to provide a coordinated approach to fight drug trafficking, money laundering, drug-related violent crime and gang threats in the HIDTA-designated counties of Philadelphia, Chester and Delaware in Pennsylvania, and Camden in New Jersey.
The discussion during Thursday’s two-hour meeting focused on the heroin that is flooding Southeastern Pennsylvania, Whelan said.
Citing statistics provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Whelan said Pennsylvania has the third-highest rate of heroin users in the nation, behind California and Illinois, but is No. 1 in seizures of pure fentanyl by law enforcement.
“The Southeastern Pennsylvania region is seeing the purest form of heroin, 70 to 90 percent,” Whelan said.
In Delaware County, there’s been a 174 percent increase in deaths related to heroin between 2007 and 2013, and a 680 percent increase in the number of individuals seeking treatment for heroin addiction between 2009 to 2012, he said.
Since January, there have been 12 heroin-related deaths in Delaware County.
In the meantime, Whelan said the Delaware County Heroin Task Force is continuing efforts to educate and prevent the use of heroin and abuse of prescription drugs.
“We are moving forward on many fronts to combat the heroin epidemic that has plagued Delaware County,” said Whelan. “We are determined to do everything possible to protect our children, our families and our communities from the devastating effects of drug addiction.”
Residents who have any information concerning illegal drugs should contact the Marcus Hook Police Department at 610-485-1611 or the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division at 610-891-4700.
For more information on signs and symptoms of heroin use and recovery resources, visit the Heroin Task Force website.
Link!
Rose Quinn
Delaware County Daily Times
3.20.14
Pure fentanyl claimed the life of a 30-year-old Marcus Hook woman, authorities said Thursday as they renewed a warning against the powerful synthetic opioid.
“These drugs are manufactured in clandestine labs by criminals, and every single packet has the potential to kill the user,” Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said in a prepared release. “Those who believe they are purchasing heroin end up with a much more dangerous drug that is 100 percent pure and, when ingested, rapidly shuts down the central drive for breathing, resulting in death.”
Whelan was joined by Delaware County Medical Examiner Dr. Fredric Hellman and Marcus Hook Police Chief John Ireland in warning against using the substance branded “Black Dahlia.”
According to the D.A.’s office, Hellman said toxicology results returned on March 19 indicated the recent death of the Marcus Hook woman was “the result of the intravenous administration of pure fentanyl.” Her death marked the first case in 2014 involving pure fentanyl.
The name on the packet is “Black Dahlia,” and the substance was packaged in a blue glassine packet with red lettering. Fentanyl can come in the form of powder, pill or patch and has been known to be snorted or injected into the bloodstream.
“The use of this lethal drug will result in death,” Whelan said.
In June 2013, Whelan issued a similar warning about fentanyl following the deaths of two Delaware County residents the previous month. In both instances, authorities found packaging stamped “Flashback” in red ink.
Whelan said a joint investigation by county detectives and the Marcus Hook Police Department is under way to determine “the facts and circumstances surrounding the (Marcus Hook) woman’s death” earlier this month.
“We are backtracking, looking to develop information on the source, as well as other people who may be involved,” Whelan said.
Ireland reiterated the severity of the situation.
“It’s important to get this life-saving message out,” the chief said.
Thursday morning, Whelan was in Philadelphia for a quarterly meeting of the Philadelphia/Camden High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (PCHIDTA) — a collaborative law enforcement program that according to its website is funded through the Office of National Drug Control Policy, part of the Executive Office of the White House.
The PCHIDTA — one of 28 designated around the U.S. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — is comprised of more than 30 participating federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Their goal is to provide a coordinated approach to fight drug trafficking, money laundering, drug-related violent crime and gang threats in the HIDTA-designated counties of Philadelphia, Chester and Delaware in Pennsylvania, and Camden in New Jersey.
The discussion during Thursday’s two-hour meeting focused on the heroin that is flooding Southeastern Pennsylvania, Whelan said.
Citing statistics provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Whelan said Pennsylvania has the third-highest rate of heroin users in the nation, behind California and Illinois, but is No. 1 in seizures of pure fentanyl by law enforcement.
“The Southeastern Pennsylvania region is seeing the purest form of heroin, 70 to 90 percent,” Whelan said.
In Delaware County, there’s been a 174 percent increase in deaths related to heroin between 2007 and 2013, and a 680 percent increase in the number of individuals seeking treatment for heroin addiction between 2009 to 2012, he said.
Since January, there have been 12 heroin-related deaths in Delaware County.
In the meantime, Whelan said the Delaware County Heroin Task Force is continuing efforts to educate and prevent the use of heroin and abuse of prescription drugs.
“We are moving forward on many fronts to combat the heroin epidemic that has plagued Delaware County,” said Whelan. “We are determined to do everything possible to protect our children, our families and our communities from the devastating effects of drug addiction.”
Residents who have any information concerning illegal drugs should contact the Marcus Hook Police Department at 610-485-1611 or the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division at 610-891-4700.
For more information on signs and symptoms of heroin use and recovery resources, visit the Heroin Task Force website.
Link!