“On May 23rd, 2022, the Cortland County Public Health and the Cortland County Mental Health Departments issued a press release to alert the community about recent reports that indicate widespread fentanyl contamination in the local illicit drug supply. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid which is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl is used in medical settings to help relieve pain, but fentanyl is also manufactured illicitly. Contamination of street drugs with illegally made fentanyl is the primary drive of the recent increase in overdose deaths, and fentanyl-related deaths are the fastest growing among 14- to 23-year-olds nationally.”

Below is the press release that was posted to Facebook:

Additional information from Healing Cortland: 

Some strategies that have been shown to reduce the risk of fatal overdose include:

• Go slow so that you can tell if you’re responding differently to what you’re using
• Always test your drugs with fentanyl test strips (here’s a link with instructions about how to use them). 
  • NOTE: These don’t tell you how much fentanyl is present, just if it’s in the batch or not
  • One line means positive; if it tests positive, use less, go slow, or don’t use that batch.
  • You can access test strips from the following agencies:
    • Southern Tier AIDS Program through their Cortland Mobile Team (607-725-6335 or 607-725-6847) or by calling/texting 607-882-4858. 
    • Family & Children’s Counseling Services (main line: 607-753-0234) or directly through the COTI Program (cell: 607-749-0014).
• Never use alone and stagger use so that someone can respond in case of an overdose 
  • You can also call a friend or call the Never Use Alone hotline: 1 (800) 997-2280 or 1 (800) 928-5330 for Spanish speakers
• Have naloxone/Narcan on hand; know how to use it and where to get more
  • You can access free naloxone training and kits from the following: Family & Children’s Counseling Services (607-753-0234 or 607-749-0014),  Southern Tier AIDS Program Mobile Unit (607-725-6335 or 607-725-6847), Healing Hearts Collaborative (607-283-6378) and other regional programs. Click here for a more extensive list. 
  • Narcan can also be purchased at most local pharmacies at little or no cost if you have prescription insurance coverage. The NYS Naloxone Co-Payment Assistance Program (N-CAP) can make it even more affordable.