Elkhart paramedics responded to five overdose calls in the span of about 10 hours Friday, a rate the city calls “alarmingly high.”
“If we would receive five in a week, we would be concerned, let alone five in one day,” city spokesperson Corinne Straight said in a video statement.
According to a release from the city, the exact circumstances of the overdoses are still unknown, but the cluster indicates a possible “unknown presence” in the drugs people are buying.
“While we understand that addiction cannot be overcome in every community, and our hope is that no one will ingest illicit substances or drugs, the reality is that it happens,” Elkhart Police Chief Kris Seymore said in a separate video statement. “What that leaves behind is torn families and friends. But there’s something that they can do about it.”
Seymore, Elkhart Fire Chief Shaun Edgerton and Mayor Rod Roberson encouraged residents to purchase Narcan at area pharmacies. Also known as naloxone, Narcan is an over-the-counter medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.
This story has been updated.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo.
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