Troopers Say Upper Hudson Valley Man Had “Large Amount of Heroin, Fentanyl, & Cocaine”
The opioid epidemic does not appear to be going anywhere any time soon, especially in New York State.
New York State police say an upper Hudson Valley man was arrested Tuesday after an investigation determined he was in possession of a large amount of illegal narcotics.
Officials say one of the drugs found at the scene included fentanyl. Unfortunately, the statistics indicate that fentanyl use continues to rise across New York state and the rest of the country.
Fentanyl Stats Across New York State
The DEA’s New York Division reports that they seized 1.9 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and 1,958 pounds of fentanyl which is the equivalent of 72 million lethal doses in 2022. Their numbers say that is a 152% increase from 2021 alone.
The CDC says that fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
Catskill Man Allegedly Had Large Amounts of Drugs During Stop
New York State Police said in a press release that they stopped a 2005 GMC truck in the village of Catskill Tuesday afternoon. Police say they interviewed both the driver and the passenger, who is a 31-year-old man from Catskill.
During their investigation, state police learned that the passenger was in possession of a "large amount of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine."
See Also: Police Say Man Busted With Crack in His Pants in Greene County
Authorities say they arrested the suspect and have charged him with several drug-related felonies. The press release says the suspect was additionally charged with Obstruction of Governmental Administration and Resisting Arrest, both misdemeanors.
Fentanyl Deaths Continue to Rise
The National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) continued to rise with 56,516 overdose deaths reported in 2020.
In 2021, fentanyl and fentanyl analogs accounted for most drug overdose deaths in the United States with 71,238 deaths
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