Orange County sees increase in heroin overdoses, sheriff says

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings is warning the public about the dangers of heroin after what he called a “significant increase” in heroin overdoses.

“People who buy illegal drugs are playing Russian roulette with their lives,” Demings said. “They have no idea what the drugs are cut with, or their potential potency.”

The sheriff's office said it's seeing heroin laced with Fentanyl.

"Dealers are mixing the fentanyl because they believe it gives them a better high. It's a little more potent," said Capt. Carlos Espinosa, with the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

There were 101 drug overdoses between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15, compared to 63 overdoses during the same period last year, according to the Orange County narcotics unit. Of the 101 drug overdoses, 70 were heroin-related, compared to 28 last year, a 150 percent increase, investigators said.

"When we did such a great job of shutting down the pill mills, we didn't account for the actual addiction people have to opiates," Espinosa said.

Overdose deaths have decreased 56 percent over the same time period. The sheriff's office credits deputies who have the Narcan shot on hand when they respond to drug overdoses. The shot is used in suspected overdoses.

"People were dying. Addicts were dying from this overdose, now they're not," Espinosa said.

Read: 9 Investigates: 'Super drug' prompts medical examiner to take precautions

OCSO deputies have used Naloxone,  or Narcan, 55 times since July 1.

"Naloxone buys them 90 minutes of time. Enough time to get to an emergency (room), get on an IV, start the detoxing program," said David Siegel, of Westgate Resorts.

Siegel, the time-share mogul, lost his 18-year-old daughter to an overdose two years ago.

Read: Siegel family discusses daughter's tragic death with WFTV

"This should be in every medicine cabinet. Every addict should carry this in their pocket," Siegel said.

Cox Media Group