Authorities warns of increasing fentanyl overdoses in Nez Perce County

The prosecutor and coroner in Nez Perce County issued a warning this week about an increasing number of drug overdoses from fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid that can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine.

Coroner Josh Hall said there were 18 overdose deaths in the county in 2021, compared to nine in 2020 and five in 2019, according to a news release. Of those 18 overdoses, six involved fentanyl.

“My office is responding to more overdoses than we have ever before,” Hall said. “The sharp rise in deaths is leading to an alarming warning. We are hoping it will come back down, but we don’t know if we have seen the peak yet.”

The prosecutor’s office is working with law enforcement as it seeks justice for the victims of overdoses when they are provided drugs at a higher purity than expected, or a completely different drug than expected. The amount of fentanyl contained in clandestinely manufactured pills can vary wildly, with one dose containing hardly any, while another could cause death in a matter of minutes.

And illicit fentanyl is often made to look like pharmaceutical oxycodone pills, misleading some users into taking a much stronger drug than they may have encountered before.

“The drug detectives in our valley work diligently to take drugs off the streets and hold the dealers who are profiting on addiction accountable,” Prosecutor Justin Coleman said in the news release. “But we need to keep attention on this issue, and we need more detectives dedicated to the effort of bringing those individuals preying on people with addiction issues to prosecution.”

The news release pointed to the First Step 4 Life Recovery Center as an option for those who need help with drug addiction. The center is at 903 D St., Suite 201, in Lewiston, and may be reached at (208) 717-3881.

Those who would like to provide a tip regarding drug dealing in the area may call the Lewiston Police Department at (208) 746-0171.