JCSO releasing data on spike in fentanyl overdoses

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore.– The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is releasing data on a number of overdoses in the area over the past week.

JCSO said detectives responded to 10 fatal overdoses over the last five days, between the ages of 22 and 63.

The sheriff’s office said there have been 30 confirmed overdose deaths containing fentanyl so far this year, with 41 more cases pending toxicology reports.

There are a variety of resources available to detect fentanyl, including testing strips, but Jackson County Public Health said the test strips aren’t always reliable.

Tanya Phillips from Jackson County Public Health said, “fentanyl test strips work good if people are testing opioids like heroin. They do not work good if people are testing methamphetamine or MDMA.”

Phillips said certain drugs can produce false positives when testing for fentanyl.

She said test strips are just one tool people can use and shouldn’t be relied on completely.

© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.

NBC5 News reporter Derek Strom is from Renton, Washington. He recently graduated from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communications at Washington State University with a degree in Broadcast News and a minor in Sports Management. He played in the drumline with the WSU marching band. These days, he plays the guitar and piano. Derek is a devoted fan of the Mariners, Seahawks, and Kraken.
Skip to content