A photo from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency shows the amount of the drug fentanyl which can result in a fatal overdose. Local officials say they are seeing an increase in both the amount of the drug coming into the area and the impacts of its presence in overdoses and crime.
It is so dangerous, just 2mg can kill you.
Fentanyl arrests and overdoses are on the rise across the commonwealth, and the Eastern Kentucky mountain region is not immune.
According to crime data from the Kentucky State Police, a total of 315 fentanyl related arrests occurred in the state in 2020.
In 2021, that number jumped to 578.
In Floyd County, a similar pattern occurred.
Only three fentanyl related arrests took place in Floyd County in 2020, however that number increased to 12 by 2021.
Although Pike County saw only one fentanyl related arrest in both 2020 and 2021, according to KSP Trooper Michael Coleman, public affairs officer, that number is also increasing.
Jail records show that as of March, 2023, there have already been six fentanyl related arrests in Pike County.
Coleman said police are not so much targeting fentanyl as they are finding it to be a more common drug.
“What used to be meth is now fentanyl,” said Coleman.
The drug is very dangerous, Coleman said, and it only takes a small amount to cause an overdose.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), just 2 milligrams — small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil — is potentially lethal.
Through skin contact alone, Coleman said, fentanyl can be deadly.
“Fentanyl or carfentanil on the skin can actually cause us to overdose,” he said.
Coleman went on to say troopers carry narcan with them at all times.
“We carry Narcan in our cars,” said Coleman. “For us, if we’re exposed, or if we come in contact with someone who has been exposed; hopefully, it will save their life.”
Pike County Commonwealth’s Attorney Bill Slone said they’re seeing more fentanyl related charges come through his office, as well.
“No question,” said Slone. “We’re seeing more of it.”
Slone echoed the dangers of fentanyl and said it is something the court takes very seriously.
“It’s one of the things we take more seriously,” said Slone. “Because of the potential of killing people.”
Don Smith, assistant Pike commonwealth’s attorney, said because the drug is so deadly, a trafficking in fentanyl charge is treated as a violent crime.
A deadly drug
The 2021 Overdose Fatality Report, released by the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, said the overdose rate in Kentucky jumped 14.5 percent from 2020 to 2021.
Additionally, the report revealed that approximately 70 percent of overdoses that occurred in 2020 were fentanyl related; in 2021, that number increased to approximately 73 percent.
Pike County Coroner Kevin Hall said he is “absolutely” seeing an increase in fentanyl related overdoses in the county.
“We’ve got a very alarming drug epidemic going on in Pike County,” said Hall.
In the first two months of his first term as coroner, Hall said, he has already worked 10 overdose deaths.
Of those 10, he said, four were fentanyl related.
The overdoses included all ages, Hall said.
“I have had people overdose who have been in their 50’s,” said Hall. “And I’ve had them overdose in their teens.”
Hall attributes the increase in the usage of fentanyl partially to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Slone and Smith echoed that statement, saying they started seeing the increase around the beginning of the pandemic.
Coleman, however, said Pike County was just late to the game.
Accessibility, Coleman said, is mostly what has led to the increase.
“The more that is coming to our area, the more access people have to that drug,” said Coleman. “So they’re going to seek it.”
Fentanyl is cheaper and easier to produce than other drugs, Smith said, and the producer can make a better profit selling it.
The drug is being brought in mostly in powder form, Smith said, and it is often mixed with other drugs.
In fact, Coleman said, some people may not even know they’re taking fentanyl, as they may be unaware it is mixed with the drug they are intending to buy.
This also contributes to overdoses, Coleman said.
“You’re not going to do the same amount of heroin as you would fentanyl,” he said.
It is no secret that many people in the region suffer from addiction.
Help for those addicted to drugs
KSP Post 9 Victim Advocate Brandi Steffey said the post offers a program to help those suffering from addiction find treatment.
The Angel Initiative, Steffey said, is a proactive statewide assistance program offering assistance to Kentuckians battling substance dependency and addiction.
The Angel Initiative is a fully voluntary program, Steffey said, and it is personalized to each individual.
“We’ll find a facility that specifically meets their needs,” said Steffey.
Any individual who reaches out to join the program will not be arrested, Steffey said, unless they have an active warrant.
If they have drugs or paraphernalia on their person, she said, they will be confiscated and destroyed.
“You won’t be arrested, you won’t be judged,” said Steffey. “You’ll simply get the help that you need.”
There are some disqualifiers for the program, Steffey said, which include: an outstanding arrest warrant, a non-extraditable arrest warrant in another jurisdiction, the participant is a registered sex offender in any state, there is a reasonable belief that the participant poses a threat of harm to themselves or others, or an unaccompanied minor.
Additionally, Steffey said, the Angel Initiative does not apply to those persons seeking to complete court-ordered treatment, to fulfill sentencing obligations or those persons encountered during regular law-enforcement duties.
“Addiction is something that has affected us all,” Steffey said. “The goal of the Angel Initiative is to save lives.”
For more information about the Angel Initiative, contact Steffey at, (606) 433-7711; or stop in at any of the 16 KSP locations.