Jackson Co. sees big shift in fentanyl overdoses

Jenna King April 27, 2022

Last Updated: April 27, 2022

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. —According to public health, fentanyl is influencing the number of overdoses in Jackson County. Jackson County Public Health says it saw the increase happen last year and has continued steadily into this year.

Historically, the county saw overdoses involving heroin. Now, through law enforcement and EMS responses, the county is seeing a big shift in fentanyl overdoses.

“It is a lot stronger more potent, than something like morphine, and so yes that does put people more at a risk of experiencing an overdose, especially when it’s illegally made as well,” said Tanya Phillips, with Jackson County Public Health.

She says having naloxone on hand is very important, and can make a big impact.

Phillips reminds people to go to the Oregon Recovery website for different treatment options and peer support services. For more information on where to find naloxone click here.

Jenna King

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Jenna King is the 6pm and 11pm anchor for NBC5 News. Jenna is a Burbank, CA native. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Sports Business. During her time at Oregon she was part of the student-run television station, Duck TV. She also grew her passion for sports through her internship with the PAC 12 Network. When Jenna is not in the newsroom you can find her rooting for her hometown Dodgers, exploring the outdoors or binging on the latest Netflix release.