A Collier County drug operation resulted in the arrest of 106 individuals.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) has released the findings of a multi-month anti-drug campaign aimed at eradicating the fentanyl issue.
106 people were detained during Operation “Summer Blaze” on suspicion of fentanyl trafficking, fentanyl possession, and other drug-related offenses. The CCSO seized about five pounds of fentanyl, five pounds of cocaine, and 1.7 pounds of methamphetamine between May and August, according to a recent article by Ryan Arbogast of NBC 2.
The synthetic opioid fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs or prescriptions because of its low cost and very high potential for addiction. A person’s heart can be stopped with about two grains of salt.
The general issue is that fentanyl is seeping into a wide range of goods. Individuals who are dependent on other drugs, like benzodiazepines or sedatives like Xanax or Valium, believe they are receiving those drugs. According to Dr. Benjamin Abo, the Medical Director of the City of Naples Fire Rescue Department and an ER physician, “they’re actually taking fentanyl.”
According to CCSO, NBC2 reported that they started observing the effects of fentanyl in our neighborhood in 2019. Overdoses and overdose deaths have been gradually increasing since then.
A number of overdoses have been observed. I have worked as an emergency physician for 12 years and in EMS for 26 years. Their numbers are growing, and it will take a lot more to turn them around. Individuals are unaware of what they are receiving or how much of it they are receiving. The next time may be too much since they believe they are growing tolerant to it, according to Dr. Abo.
The CCSO reported that overdoses had decreased by 33% since Operation Summer Blaze began.
“We are saving lives whenever we can lower the overdose rate. There were fewer overdoses that weren’t fatal. It seems to confirm that we are headed in the right direction and that community engagement is necessary. Sheriff Rambosk stated, “We need to move forward, unite everyone, and eradicate fentanyl from Collier County.”
The Collier County Public Schools and students are the target of CCSO’s “Laced & Lethal Program,” an instructional campaign that was just unveiled last week. Every school site will now have Narcan, which can stop an overdose, connected to their AED device, in addition to fliers and digital resources.
According to the CCSO, if you knowingly possess fentanyl and a deputy is hurt, you will also face an additional felony penalty. They want to press the state government on this matter.
The original article can be found on NBC2