Fentanyl awareness: How to provide support for those in need

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — There have been more than 1,100 fentanyl overdoses in Monroe County in 2024. 100 of those were fatal. With August 21 being National Fentanyl Awareness Day, officials continue to warn about the dangerous drugs that are out there as well as the multiple ways to seek treatment.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says those numbers aren’t just statistics, they represent people. Emphasizing, it’s important to spread awareness and try to increase prevention through education.

Officials say fentanyl as a drug prescribed by medical professionals for pain isn’t the problem, it’s the non-medical professional who’s using it in doses that can shut down the nervous system that’s the problem.

“It takes less of it to essentially kill you, right? So, in the beginning, that’s kind of what we were seeing, is people were taking the same dosage of that, as they were taking of, say, heroin or something else, and it was just so much stronger that it was causing lots of problems that way,” Deputy Brendan Hurley with MCSO emphasizing if it’s not prescribed to you by a doctor, don’t take it.

“The problems that we’re seeing now are trying to get it across the border or wherever it’s coming from, and disguising it as an Adderall pill, right? So that it’s undercover. But then somebody doesn’t know better, they take that thinking it’s Adderall,” Deputy Hurley explained.

Monroe County continuously working to add more Naloxone boxes in public places to help save lives.

“It’s a really simple nasal injection that can help reverse an overdose and save lives,” Nickolous Highland with Delphi Rise told News 8. “If you ever encounter someone who you believe is having an overdose, it is, it is the only way to save a life. Two injections into nostrils, calling 911, and getting them the help they need,” Highland said.

Nickolus Highland is the outpatient counselor for Delphi Rise in Rochester. The organization offers Open Access: A 24/7 operation for anyone to receive services for drug and alcohol treatment.

“Often it just takes walking in,” Highland said. “A lot of times, support will come in. So, a parent or a friend will bring a loved one in when they’ve hit a place that they’ve decided they’re ready for treatment, and we make sure that we connect them with services. There are people who want to help. All of us who do this, do it because we’re passionate about it, and so if somebody’s looking for help, we’re going to connect them with the services that they need to find it,” Highland said.

The Monroe County Heroin Task Force is another resource available with a quick phone call. Deputy Hurley says the task force is not looking to just get someone arrested but to get to the root of the problem and provide the necessary assistance.

For more information on Delphi Rise, click here. For more information on the Monroe County Heroin Task Force, click here .

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