MARION COUNTY, W.Va. – Members of the Marion County Quick Response Team (QRT) have reported a spike in overdoses associated with a possible bad batch of drugs in the area. QRT Coordinator Maxine Harker said over the past 24-hours, three overdoses have been reported in the county.
“Fortunately, at this point, everybody that has overdosed that I’ve been made aware of in the last 24-hours has made it,” Harker said. “My worry is with the person who is alone or the person around others who don’t know what’s happening.”
Harker said it’s important for all residents to be able to recognize the signs of an overdose. Overdose victims will be lethargic, possibly pale with blue around the lips, or display shallow breathing. She said knowing how to use naloxone can save a life.
“If you see a person that looks like they’re going unresponsive or slumped over and you have access to Narcan, it will not hurt them if you are wrong,” Harker said.
All drug users should carry naloxone and know how to use it. Never use drugs alone, call a friend or family member or stay on the phone with someone while using. If you can’t stay on the phone, ask that person to call every ten minutes, and if there is no response, call for help. The national Never Use Alone hotline, 1-800-484-3731 is also available.
“A Never Use Alone Hotline they can call,” Harker said. “They will sit on the phone with you so if you do go unresponsive, they can call for help because sometimes you don’t always have somebody right there that’s going to see you fast enough.”
The Marion County QRT also offers training and supplies to the community as part of its mission.
“Anybody in Marion County is more than welcome to call and request NARCAN, NARCAN training, or fentanyl testing strips,” Harker said. “Anything they might not have or know how to get—all they have to do is call that number and someone on that team will answer.”
This is the third alert issued by the team this month.