TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Pima County health officials are sounding the alarm over a significant increase in fentanyl overdose deaths.
The county Health Department said Friday the county has had at lest 32 fentanyl overdose deaths in the first quarter of this year, putting the county on pace for 128 such deaths by year's end.
That compares with 89 fentanyl overdose deaths in 2019.
Department officials said they're asking behavioral health providers and others in the community to be alert and to take actions to help slow the increase.
Those steps include storing medications in locked cabinets, properly disposing of expired or unused medications and having the drug Naxolone at home or with them to potentially reverse an overdose.
