FORT WAYNE — Allen County is on track to set a new record for drug overdoses in 2017. There have been 580 overdoses in 2017, compared to about 800 in all of 2016, according to Captain Kevin Hunter, of Fort Wayne Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division. Nearly a hundred overdoses happened in just the last two weeks, he said.

Hunter went before the Allen County Board of Health to address the drug problem in Allen County, Monday night. Heroin is responsible for a majority of overdoses, however there has been an uptick in overdoses on “spice” – or synthetic marijuana.

“It is as dangerous as heroin is,” he said. “We have certainly seen that in the last couple of weeks here. They have no idea what it is to begin with. Then the foam at the mouth, to vomit, to lose consciousness, or even have seizures. How is that a good thing?”

Hunter said drug overdoses are impacting people of all ages and races. Lately, there has been a spike in overdoses on the southwest side of Fort Wayne. Police are working to bring down the drug houses and Hunter said he would like to see stiffer penalties for people who sell spice to keep dealers off the street.

“[We can’t] close a drug house in a day,” he said. “Sometimes it takes a week sometimes it takes more. But we have to follow the rules.”

Hunter said he believes it will only get worse before it gets better. Education is key to preventing drug addiction and overdoses in the future, he said.

“I’m sure kids are seeing it on a regular basis,” said Hunter. “Their uncles, their aunts, their mothers, brothers and sisters are dying from this. It will take some serious education, and a few years down the road before we start seeing a turn in this tide.”

Source: WANE