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Tag: fentanyl
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Fentanyl fueling worst drug crisis in U.S. history, killing 70,000 a year | 60 Minutes
Fentanyl fueling worst drug crisis in U.S. history, killing 70,000 a year | 60 Minutes – CBS News
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Reversing a fentanyl overdose with naloxone
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Reversing a fentanyl overdose with naloxone – CBS News
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California man charged with distributing fentanyl that led to death of Denver man
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Denver authorities have charged a California man with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a Colorado resident.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office alleged in a news release Friday that Jamal Gamal bore responsibility for the death of Denver resident Collin Walker by selling the 28-year-old fentanyl in November 2023 that led to his death.
After Walker died, Denver police set up a sting operation. Authorities said they were able to purchase more than 14 grams of fentanyl from Gamal, who mailed undercover detectives the drug from California.
According to KDVR TV in Denver, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death is a charge first created in Colorado in 2022 and the local district attorney has made a push to prosecute drug dealers.
“Collin Walker’s death is yet another tragic example of the devastation that fentanyl continues to cause in our community,” Denver Dist. Atty. Beth McCann said in a statement. “The charges against Mr. Gamal should send the message that people who are accused of selling this poison in Denver will be prosecuted by my office to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the district attorney’s office, Gamal was arrested in San Francisco in late August and is expected in Denver next week.
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Andrew Khouri
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Florida Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison
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A Florida fentanyl trafficker has been sentenced to federal prison.
This month, 39-year-old Patrick Ward, of Saint Lucie County, was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl.
The sentence comes after Ward previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl on three separate occasions. According to the court record, on July 6, July 13, and August 18, of 2022, Ward sold a total of 47 grams of fentanyl in Port St. Lucie.U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Acting Chief Richard R. Del Toro, Jr., of the Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
DEA Miami Field Division and PSLPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.
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Florida Law and Order Priorities Highlighted by Governor DeSantis, AG Moody, Sheriff Judd
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted law and order priorities, including protecting from fentanyl and illegal drugs, and curbing illegal immigration, with Attorney General Ashley Moody, Sheriff Grady Judd, and others in law enforcement.
Last year, Governor DeSantis signed legislation establishing the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (SAFE) grant program, which provides law enforcement with the funding needed to conduct large-scale drug operations across the state, including many in Central Florida.
Florida has also enacted a suite of legislation to crack down on crime, curb illegal immigration, increase penalties for drug and human traffickers, and recruit law enforcement officers to the state.
And when two state attorneys refused to carry out the duties of their positions and enforce the law, Governor DeSantis removed them from office.
“Leadership matters,” said Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. “Law and order is maintained when leaders insist on enforcing the law. Florida has enacted legislation to combat crime, recruited police officers from all over the country, refused to allow cities to defund the police, and—when necessary—removed rogue state attorneys who refused to enforce the law.”
“Florida is a law-and-order state, and through proactive leadership and diligent law enforcement efforts we continue to prosper, break tourism records and lead in new business formations,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody. “This is due in large part to the brave men and women in law enforcement, and we will always work to ensure they are supported by Florida leadership.”
In 2023, the Governor approved $20 million in funding for Florida’s SAFE program administered by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This state-funded grant has allowed local law enforcement agencies to effectively fight against drug trafficking and get hundreds of pounds of deadly drugs off our streets.
“I commend Governor DeSantis and the Florida legislature for their support of law enforcement in Florida,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “We are a law and order state, and proud of it. Because of this, our communities are thriving. Florida is a safe place to live, work, and play.”
Examples of Florida being a law and order state from SAFE grant success stories include:
- In January 2024, the Polk County Sheriffs Office utilized SAFE to arrest 11 suspects trafficking in fentanyl and cocaine, seizing 30 pounds of cocaine and nearly 8 pounds of fentanyl.
- In March 2024, Santa Rosa County and Escambia County Sheriffs’ offices, working alongside the DEA, seized 3 grams of fentanyl, marijuana, prescription pills, and several handguns.
- In April 2024, FDLE operations in conjunction with Sheriffs’ Offices in Seminole County and Palm Beach County resulted in arrests of nearly 40 drug traffickers.
- In April 2024, officers in the Fort Myers region successfully seized nearly 4kg of cocaine, 90g of fentanyl, 69g of MDMA, 375g of marijuana, two AR-15 weapons, and more than $60,000 in currency.
- In July 2024, FDLE Pensacola, Santa Rosa County and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s offices, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, FHP, and the DEA announced the arrest of 19 drug traffickers facing charges including trafficking in cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute, and racketeering.
- In August 2024, a SAFE-funded investigation dismantled a drug trafficking operation in St. Petersburg which was responsible for manufacturing hundreds of doses of fentanyl daily throughout Polk County, specifically in Lakeland.
- Officers confiscated 10.7 kilos of fentanyl, along with cocaine, oxycodone, marijuana, 3 illegal firearms, and over $500,000 in cash.
“Florida is a national model in eradicating drugs from our communities and taking criminals off the street,” said Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner. “In every corner of this great state, you will find State Troopers and local law enforcement working together to interdict drugs and arrest those who profit off of it. Instead of being demonized, Governor DeSantis celebrates the dangerous work our law enforcement officers do every day, and our men and women in law enforcement deeply appreciate that.”
In total, SAFE funds have resulted in over 650 arrests and the seizure of more than 145 pounds of fentanyl, 220 pounds of cocaine, and 60,000 fentanyl pills – numbers officials say show Florida is a law and order state.
“Thanks to Governor Ron DeSantis and his leadership, Florida’s law enforcement officers have arrested hundreds of dangerous drug traffickers and taken fentanyl and other deadly drugs off our streets,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass. “Florida is a national role model and stands in stark contrast to crime-plagued blue states.”
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San Francisco’s fentanyl crisis strategies hotly debated ahead of mayoral election
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KPIX has been marking Overdose Awareness Week by looking at a city that has shared a very similar experience as San Francisco. Fentanyl actually arrived in Vancouver before San Francisco. The results have been devastating for both cities. There are several different approaches British Columbia has tried to save lives, things like opening safe consumption sites and providing a regulated supply of drugs for some users.
The more permissive approach has stirred some opposition from Vancouver residents.
In San Francisco, there was an unofficial safe-use site in operation for a little while. The Tenderloin Linkage Center was opened in early 2022, operated by contractors for the city. It was originally announced as a connection point to services. It ultimately became a
defacto safe consumption site for users, generating some controversy and pushback from neighbors. Mayor London Breed decided to close it down at the end of that year.That short-lived experiment raised some questions: Should safe-use sites be part of the city’s portfolio? What other things is the city trying to get people linked up with help? And how might the upcoming election alter the city’s approach?
“I did not see a way out until they showed up,” said Michael in his Tenderloin hotel. “I didn’t think I could do it by myself. I didn’t care if I did it by myself.”
He is talking about his help he has received from his psychiatric clinical pharmacist, Damian Peterson. He’s making a house call to deliver this medically assisted drug treatment. Michael says this has been a key part of his journey off the street, into stability, and working towards recovery.
“They helped me taper that off,” Michael says. “And then kind of balance me out. Suboxone, and whatnot. It’s played a major major benefit to my life.”
Tiki is another patient, and like many fentanyl users she says she can’t imagine escaping that drug without something like methadone to reduce withdrawal symptoms.
“No way to do it on my own.” she explained. “But also, the support is very important.”
San Francisco has been increasing efforts to take this kind of help directly to people instead of expecting them to visit a clinic whenever it’s time for their medication.
“I think it definitely makes sense. Like when somebody has so many other things going on in life that’s making it chaotic and
unpredictable,” Peterson explained between deliveries. “It’s really hard to focus on this goal of making it to an appointment.”And after years of climbing overdose numbers, in a city desperate for some good news, some is finally emerging.
“Comparatively, we have 72 more people alive compared to last year,” said San Francisco Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax. “So I think it’s really important to put a human face on that.”
City health officials say they’re not sure why, but overdose numbers are falling. Deaths so far this year are down 15% from the same period last year.
“I think we can’t point to any one specific thing. frankly, within the department, or in a broader sense that we can say, or pinpoint and say, ‘This is the reason,’” Colfax said of the decline.
“Because I want to make it easier, just as easy to get treatment as it is to go out there and buy dope,” Mayor London Breed recently said outside city hall.
What is San Francisco’s plan going forward? Mayor Breed declined to be interviewed for this report. She has, in the past, supported some of what has been tried in Vancouver, namely safe-use sites.
“But we do have some concerns with state law that could lead to not only the arrest of people who are implementing safe consumption sites,” Breed said at a recent debate. “But potentially the disbarment of lawyers in the city attorney’s office.”
“Harm reduction, which safe injection sites fall under, is a small part of the solution,” Mark Farrell said at a recent campaign stop.
“But right now, it’s the central part of what we do. Almost the only thing we do as a city government. And the answer is it’s failing.”The drug crisis, and its intersection with homelessness, is a prominent topic in the race for mayor. There is one theme among
the challengers. Former Mayor Mark Farrell is suggesting one giant emergency center.“Really massive additional shelter capacity,” Farrell said. “One place where people can come, but have services connected with that.”
“For me, a safe injection site, a safe consumption site, around fentanyl does not make sense at this point,” Daniel Lurie told KPX.
Lurie has also stressed building out more shelter capacity.
“What is on the table is making sure that we get people off the streets that are using, into care on demand,” he said. “Or, mandating treatment. Which we are able to do now with SB 43, but we need to build the beds.”
“Look, there is no one right answer,” said Supervisor Aaron Peskin. “Harm reduction is part of the answer. Abstinence is part of the answer. Treatment is part of the answer.”
Peskin has suggested a regional approach with Santa Clara and Alameda Counties.
“And work jointly to stand up a facility, to repurpose under utilized, unutilized state buildings that have been sitting around for years,” he said. “And stand those up as massive drug treatment centers.”
“We want we want to stop the overdose crisis. We’ve got to get people off of the streets in independence where they can have a medically trained professional,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safai.
Safai, an early advocate for sober housing, also points to the general need for more.
“We need sober living,” he said. “We need to expand the number of mental health and drug treatment beds.”
So it’s a universal call for more treatment capacity. That will require resources. Then there are the questions about how to best connect people to help, and should more people be compelled into it.
“I wish I could sit down with them and say, ‘Go here, go here, go here,’” Michael said of those on the streets.
He says the treatment he’s receiving has changed his life. And as for how to get more people connected to that help, he says a lot of users just don’t know where to start.
“I just wish they were educated more,” he explained. “There are a lot of intelligent people out there, but they don’t know what to do.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, call the national helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
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Wilson Walker
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Some Canadians opposed to Vancouver’s liberal approach to fentanyl crisis
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As part of Overdose Awareness Week, KPIX is presenting a series of special reports on the opioid crisis through the lens of another West Coast city.
Much like San Francisco, Vancouver has been fighting to save lives amid the explosion of fentanyl for about a decade. Both cities have seen overdose numbers soar over the past ten years. But as KPIX showed in the first part of our special report, Vancouver has tried some strategies that San Francisco and the United States, largely, have not.
However, the results of those efforts have Canadians divided.
“Weeks went on and it became more and more of a stronger flavor,” explained Jeffrey Brocklesby, a drug user in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. “Then, lo and behold, all you got is fentanyl and no heroin. And everybody’s f—-d.”.
It may have started a few years earlier in Vancouver, but it is the same story as San Francisco: an overdose crisis that arrived with fentanyl and drags on, now with plenty of other drugs mixed in.
The response in Vancouver has been different. In 2016, British Columbia declared a health emergency. expanded from one official safe use site to dozens, and started offering users the option of a regulated drug supply.
“We’ve seen the risks that come from unregulated drugs, and we know people use them,” explained Dr. Mark Lysyshyn with Vancouver Coastal Health. “So we legalized them, and we made regulated versions and then people don’t immediately die when they consume them.”
Lysyshyn says the goal has been to reach for every possible tool to slow the epidemic that continues to claim lives. The overdose rate in Vancouver has risen, before dropping, and then climbing again. By comparison, San Francisco has followed a roughly similar path, if on a bit of a delay, finishing 2023 slightly higher.
One might look at the per capita numbers and conclude that Vancouver isn’t faring any better than San Francisco in limiting overdoses, but health officials here say they would be doing much worse, were it not for the different steps they are taking.
“The BCC, the [British Columbia] Centre for Disease Control, has done modeling about the main interventions we’ve been using: take home naloxone, overdose prevention sites, opiate agonist therapy,” Lysyshyn said. “And it shows that we are reducing about a third of the overall overdoses that are occurring. Of course, you don’t see those overdoses, because they are not happening. So we would see one third more overdoses were we not doing those things.”
The outcome of these policies, the question of whether it is all working, is now the subject of intense debate, and public pushback.
“That person there,” said Elenore Sturko, looking at a body slumped on Hastings Street. “And these are our neighbors, and our neighbors’ children. I just feel we have to do better.”
Sturko is a former police officer who now works as a British Columbia Conservative Party member of the BC legislature, She is also part of a political shift, local and beyond, that has criticized the province’s drug policies as having shifted too far in one direction.
“Harm reduction is very important,” Sturko said. “But harm reduction has to include the harms not only on the individual but the harms on our community as well. The impact on our first responders — particularly firefighters in the city of Vancouver — has been extraordinary.”
Beyond the frontline challenges, she points to evidence that some of the safe supply is making its way into the black market.
“First and foremost, if we’re giving people medication, we should make sure people are taking that medication,” Sturko said.
Then there was the 2023 move by the province to legalize simple possession of all drugs as part of a three-year study project.
“We tried to do this decriminalization pilot to reduce stigma around drug use,” Lysyshyn said of the plan.
One result was a wave of complaints about public drugs use, from playgrounds to hospitals. In April, the province decided decriminalization should be rolled back.
“There are too many different communities in British Columbia,” Lysyshyn said of the public’s reaction to the effort. “Not all of them were on board with the idea. So when it happened, the pilot really galvanized people on two sides. And made it almost more stigmatizing to do drugs.”
Finally, there is the overarching concern that the shift towards expanded drug freedoms did not come with expanded plans for helping those who need a way out of deep opioid addiction.
“It wasn’t accompanied by any kind of administrative process or way for us to help compel people into those services,” Sturko said of the move towards increased harm reduction.
The primary safe-use site in Vancouver does offer treatment services in the upstairs floors, but Lysyshyn admits that getting people into those services is challenging.
“Yeah, the thing is, the addiction treatments we have available are not perfect,” he said. “They’re good for opioids, they’re not so good for stimulants. They work for people sometimes, not all the time. People are not always ready to accept them. Also, sometimes there’s a waitlist to get into them.”
Similar to San Francisco, for all of its different policies, Vancouver is having that familiar debate over the balance of priorities, and even what it means to provide help.
“Peoples hearts were in the right place, and you don’t want to put people who are sick in prison,” Sturko said. “But at the same time. We need to stop being the one legged stool of harm reduction, and truly get back to that multi-pillared approach that has multiple entrances for people to get into help”
“But we need people to stay alive to be able to access those services,” Lysyshyn added. “And that’s what harm reduction does “
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Wilson Walker
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The nose knows: Border Patrol dog sniffs out 81 pounds of cocaine in Southern California bust
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The driver of a sport utility vehicle authorities say was carrying more than 80 pounds of cocaine may have gotten away with it if it weren’t for that meddling dog.
Around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the SUV was traveling on the 15 Freeway through Temecula when it was stopped by agents with the San Diego sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
During a subsequent sniff test of the vehicle, a dog alerted agents of the possible presence of drugs. Authorities said a follow-up search uncovered a series of cellophane-wrapped packages stashed inside a false dashboard.
Agents arrested the driver and an accompanying passenger, and impounded the SUV for further inspection.
In all, authorities said they found 31 bundles in the false dashboard, containing a total of 81 pounds of cocaine.
San Diego sector Border Patrol agents have seized 2,437 pounds of cocaine since the beginning of the fiscal year, according to the department.
The sector has also seized 3,627 pounds of methamphetamine, 31 pounds of heroin and 475 pounds of fentanyl. That includes 3.65 combined pounds of fentanyl and heroin found from Aug. 11 to Aug. 17.
“I am proud to say that men and women of the United States Border Patrol are out there day and night protecting our communities,” Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel said in a statement. “With each successful narcotic interdiction, I know for a fact that we’ve saved someone’s life.”
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Andrew J. Campa
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Arrest log
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The following arrests were made recently by local police departments. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Massachusetts’ privacy law prevents police from releasing information involving domestic and sexual violence arrests with the goal to protect the alleged victims.
BILLERICA
• Leonard Henry Spinney III, 33, 19 Malvern Ave., Tyngsboro; operation under influence of alcohol, possession of open container of alcohol, marked lanes violation.
• Weslley Azevedo Xavier, 22, 719 Princeton Blvd., Lowell; possession of burglarious instrument, trespassing, attempted larceny, warrant.
• Lucas Neto Dos Santos, 20, 105 Read Ave., Everett; possession of burglarious instrument, trespassing, attempted larceny.
• Pedro Henrique Viana Heringer, 20, 20 S. Bedford St., Burlington; trespassing, possession of burglarious instrument, attempted larceny, warrant.
• Ailee Kelliher, 30, 110 Skyline Drive, Dracut; warrant.
• Anthony Toogood, 58, 11 Fay St., Lowell; shoplifting by asportation.
LOWELL
• Ashley Brien, 35, 123 Fletcher St., Apt. 7, Lowell; warrants (failure to appear for assault and battery, assault and battery on police officer, and operation under influence of alcohol).
• James Pelham, 53, homeless; warrant (breaking and entering into motor vehicle).
• Fernando Calixto, 42, homeless; warrant (failure to appear for conspiracy to violate drug law), trafficking/distribution/possessing/dispensing/manufacturing 10 grams or more of fentanyl.
• Kosal Ngin, 44, 212 Ludlam St., Apt. 2, Lowell; warrant (number plate violation).
• Cassie Cates, 42, homeless; warrant (failure to appear for trespassing).
• Tyson Tran, 61, 9 Putnam Ave., Lowell; trespassing, public drinking.
• Jeffrey Cabrera, 29, 519 Haverhill St., Lawrence; warrants (juror fail to appear, unlicensed operation of motor vehicle).
• Juan Baez, 21, 486 Andover St., Lowell; warrant (failure to appear for assault and battery with dangerous weapon).
• Thomas McGrath, 33, homeless; warrant (larceny from person).
• Sheila Mouleart, 39, homeless; warrants (failure to appear for shoplifting, possession of Class A drug, possession of Class B drug, possession of Class E drug, and larceny under $1,200).
• Patricia Boisvert, 25, homeless; warrants (threatening to commit crime, failure to appear for possession of Class B drug).
• Alexandro Rivera, 44, no fixed address; assault and battery on police officer, resisting arrest, warrants (possession of Class B drug, failure to appear for possession of Class B drug).
• Loc Dang, 48, homeless; possession of Class B drug, trespassing, public drinking.
• Kristen Ervin, 41, 4 Mount Pleasant St., Apt. 210, Billerica; assault and battery on police officer, resisting arrest.
• Cecil Retamar-Ramos, 37, homeless; warrants (failure to appear for carrying dangerous weapon, and possession of Class B drug).
• Courtney Mallory, 33, 33 Middle St., Apt. 21, Lowell; trespassing.
• Michael Galarza Olivero, 36, 193 Middlesex St., Lowell; trespassing.
WESTFORD
• Flavia Batista Silva, 26, Davis Road, Acton; unlicensed operation of motor vehicle, speeding at rate of speed exceeding posted limit, warrant (motor vehicle offenses).
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Staff Report
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New details in murder case surrounding baby Winter’s fentanyl death
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Drugs dominated the world of little Winter Rayo’s parents and their housemates.
That came through in text messages they sent one another, read in Santa Clara County Superior Court this week where a preliminary hearing was underway to determine whether her father Derek Rayo and two housemates must stand trial on murder charges for Winter’s August 2023 fentanyl overdose death.
Winter’s mother, 29-year-old Kelly Gene Richardson, texted “do you have clear” to housemate Paige Vitale one June evening last year, referring to the street slang for methamphetamine, a potent illegal stimulant.
“I can take a little for you but it won’t be much,” Vitale responded.
“yeah, derek’s cousin is here now with the clear but before we didn’t have any,” Richardson replied. “So no worries about the clear we got some now.”
The preliminary hearing will continue August 26, and Judge Deborah Ryan later that week is expected to decide whether Rayo, Vitale and another housemate, Phillip Ortega, will proceed to trial, and if so, whether they are tried for murder or lesser charges.
Richardson is not part of the preliminary examination. Her attorney declared a doubt of her competence to participate in her defense. Over the objection of prosecutors, a judge suspended her case pending the results of a court-ordered psychological evaluation.
Winter died last August at 18 months old in the bed she shared with her parents at her San Jose home. When police arrived at the home, Winter had been dead for hours and was covered by a rug. A toxicology report revealed 24 times the lethal dose of fentanyl for a child her size in her blood.
Rayo, 27, and Richardson, were charged with murder for Winter’s death on the premise that the extent of their drug use around the child exceeded criminal negligence. Though other parents have previously been charged in the fentanyl-related deaths of their children, the murder charge was a first for the county. Their housemates, Ortega and Vitale, also were charged for supplying narcotics to Winter’s parents and contributing to her dangerous home environment.
The preliminary examination for the case began in June and continued for two days this week. Rayo, Ortega and Vitale were present in court, accompanied by their attorneys.
On Thursday, Sheena Woodland, an investigator for the District Attorney’s Office, testified at length about photos, text messages and interviews with police that portrayed the defendants’ enduring efforts to purchase, use and sell narcotics.
Messages retrieved from the defendants’ cell phones, compiled into a slide show by Deputy District Attorney Gabriella Jarvis, contained frequent mentions to slang terms for fentanyl and methamphetamine. Several messages discuss how much the defendants can buy with their available funds.
One set of exchanges between Richardson and Vitale on June 10 and 11, 2023, included lines like “Get a little bit off someone to get us thru the night,” and “You’re gonna get some clean, right?”
“Clean” is street slang for fentanyl, Woodland said.
According to Woodland, Vitale and Ortega said in interviews with police that they assumed Winter’s parents used drugs in the bedroom they shared with Winter while the child was inside. Though the couple’s door was closed, Vitale and Ortega had heard the sound of a torch coming from the room. Police also found drugs near the bed where baby Winter slept with her parents, Woodland testified.
One set of photos shown in court showed adults using drugs while holding Winter, her bright blonde hair tied into a tiny ponytail, in the home’s garage.
The defense attorneys’ cross-examination of Woodland will continue when the proceedings resume in August.
Originally Published:
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Cameron Duran
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Opioid deaths drop 10%, but remain high
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BOSTON — The scourge of opioid addiction continues to affect Massachusetts, but new data shows a double-digit decrease in the number of overdose deaths in the past year.
There were 2,125 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in 2023 — which is 10%, or 232, fewer fatal overdoses than during the same period in 2022, according to a report released this week by the state Department of Public Health.
Last year’s opioid-related overdose death rate also decreased by 10% to 30.2 per 100,000 people compared to 33.5 in 2022, DPH said.
Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Fentanyl was present in 90% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.
Preliminary data from the first three months of 2024 showed a continued decline in opioid-related overdose deaths, the agency said, with 507 confirmed and estimated deaths, a 9% drop from the same time period last year.
Gov. Maura Healey said she is “encouraged” by the drop in fatal overdoses but the state needs to continue to focus on “prevention, treatment and recovery efforts to address the overdose crisis that continues to claim too many lives and devastate too many families in Massachusetts.”
Substance abuse counselors welcomed the declining number of fatal opioid overdoses, but said the data shows that there is still more work to be done to help people struggling with substance use disorders.
“While the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in the commonwealth remains unacceptably high, it is encouraging to see what we hope is a reversal of a long and painful trend,” Bridgewell President & CEO Chris Tuttle said in a statement. “The time is now to boost public investments and once and for all overcome the scourge of the opioid epidemic.”
Nationally, there were 107,543 overdose deaths reported in the U.S. in 2023, a 3% decrease from the estimated 111,029 in 2022, according to recently released U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
In New Hampshire, drug overdose deaths also declined by double digits in 2023, according to figures released in May by the state’s medical examiner and the National Centers for Disease Control.
There were 430 deaths attributed to overdoses in 2023, an 11.7% decrease from 2022’s 487, according to the data.
Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.
The state has set some of the strictest opioid-prescribing laws in the nation, including a cap on new prescriptions in a seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an addictive opioid.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are flowing into the state from multistate settlements with opioid makers and distributors, including $110 million from a $6 billion deal with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family.
Under state law, about 60% of that money will be deposited in the state’s opioid recovery fund, while the remainder will be distributed to communities.
Earlier this week, House lawmakers were expected to take up a package of bills aimed at improving treatment of substance abuse disorders and reducing opioid overdose deaths.
The plan would require private insurers to cover emergency opioid overdose-reversing drugs such as naloxone and require drug treatment facilities to provide two doses of overdose-reversal drugs when discharging patients, among other changes.
Another provision would require licenses for recovery coaches, who are increasingly sent to emergency rooms, drug treatment centers and courtrooms to help addicts get clean.
Backers of the plan said the goal is to integrate peer recovery coaches more into the state’s health care system, helping addicts who have taken the first steps toward recovery.
Long-term recovery remains one of the biggest hurdles to breaking the cycle of addiction, they say.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
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By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter
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Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses
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Workers who are injured on the job are at higher risk for fatal opioid-related overdoses, according to a new study, which calls for renewed efforts to reduce the stigma of drug addiction.
The report, released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health, found that working-age Massachusetts residents who died between 2011 and 2020 were 35% more likely to have died of an opioid-related overdose if they had previously been injured at work.
DPH researchers compiled information about individuals’ employment and work-related injury status from their workers’ compensation claims and linked it with data from their death certificates.
Researchers reviewed the details of 4,304 working-age adults who died between 2011 and 2020 and found at least 17.2% had at least one workplace injury claim and died of an opioid-related overdose, according to the study.
Public health officials say the study is the first linking the impact of work-related injuries to opioid-related overdose deaths.
“Occupational injuries can take both a physical and mental toll, and those who suffer injuries at work may be discouraged from seeking help because of stigmatization and fear of losing their jobs,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said in a prepared statement. “Avoiding or delaying care can lead to a preventable overdose death.”
She called for stepped-up efforts to “eliminate the stigma that accompanies substance use disorder in all sectors of society, including the workplace.”
The release of the report comes as opioid overdose deaths remain devastatingly high in the Bay State, despite a slight decrease over the past year.
There were 2,323 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023 — eight fewer than the same period in 2021, according to a report released in December by the health department.
Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Fentanyl was present in 93% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.
Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.
The state has set some of the strictest opioid prescribing laws in the nation, including a cap on new prescriptions in a seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an addictive opioid.
The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, created by the state Legislature in 2020, has received more than $101 million from settlements with drug makers and distributors over their alleged role in the opioid crisis, according to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
More than 25,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts since 2011, according to state records.
Nationally, fatal drug overdoses fell by roughly 3% in 2023, according data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the toll from fatal overdoses in 2023 remained high, claiming 107,543 lives, the federal agency said.
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were responsible for about 70% of lives lost, while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for about 30% of deaths, the CDC said.
“The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” Anne Milgram, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a recent statement.
The DEA points to Mexican drug cartels, who it says are smuggling large quantities of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs manufactured in China into the country, along the southern border.
“The suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and money launderers all play a role in the web of deliberate and calculated treachery orchestrated by these cartels,” she said.
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By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter
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Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses
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Workers who are injured on the job are at higher risk for fatal opioid-related overdoses, according to a new study, which calls for renewed efforts to reduce the stigma of drug addiction.
The report, released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health, found that working-age Massachusetts residents who died between 2011 and 2020 were 35% more likely to have died of an opioid-related overdose if they had previously been injured at work.
DPH researchers compiled information about individuals’ employment and work-related injury status from their workers’ compensation claims and linked it to data from their death certificates.
Researchers reviewed the details of 4,304 working-age adults who died between 2011 and 2020 and found at least 17.2% had at least one workplace injury claim and died of an opioid-related overdose, according to the study.
Public health officials say the study is the first linking the impact of work-related injuries to opioid-related overdose deaths.
“Occupational injuries can take both a physical and mental toll, and those who suffer injuries at work may be discouraged from seeking help because of stigmatization and fear of losing their jobs,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said in a statement. “Avoiding or delaying care can lead to a preventable overdose death.”
Walsh called for stepped-up efforts to “eliminate the stigma that accompanies substance use disorder in all sectors of society, including the workplace.”
The release of the report comes as opioid overdose deaths remain devastatingly high in the Bay State, despite a slight decrease over the past year.
There were 2,323 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023 — eight fewer than the same period in 2021, according to a report released in December by the health department.
Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Fentanyl was present in 93% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.
Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.
The state has set some of the strictest opioid-prescribing laws in the nation, including a cap on new prescriptions in a seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an addictive opioid.
The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, created by the state Legislature in 2020, has received more than $101 million from settlements with drug makers and distributors over their alleged role in the opioid crisis, according to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
More than 25,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts since 2011, according to state records.
Nationally, fatal drug overdoses fell by roughly 3% in 2023, according data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the toll from fatal overdoses in 2023 remained high, claiming 107,543 lives, the federal agency said.
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were responsible for approximately 70% of lives lost, while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for approximately 30% of deaths, the CDC said.
“The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” Anne Milgram, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a recent statement.
The DEA points to Mexican drug cartels, who it says are smuggling large quantities of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs manufactured in China into the country along the southern border.
“The suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and money launderers all play a role in the web of deliberate and calculated treachery orchestrated by these cartels,” she said.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
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By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter
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California Highway Patrol finds over 500 grams of drugs during I-80 traffic stop
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(FOX40.COM) — California Highway Patrol officers arrested a man after a traffic stop led to the discovery of over 500 grams of fentanyl, 150 grams of meth, 50 grams of heroin, 50 grams of Xanax, and 20 grams worth of “unknown pills.”
According to the agency, the man, 35, was driving west in a silver Honda on Interstate 80 near San Francisco when CHP officers initiated the stop. The stop was for a mechanical violation, CHP added.
Upon contacting the driver, CHP learned that the man was unlicensed and detained him before a K9 searched the vehicle.
As the K9 searched, officers located “a large amount” of packaged narcotics, which revealed the following:
- 511 grams of fentanyl
- 158 grams of meth
- 73 grams of heroin
- 80 grams of “suspected Xanax”
- 20 grams of “unknown pills”
CHP said a loaded gun was also discovered in their search. The driver, a San Lorenzo resident, was booked into a Northern California jail for multiple felony drug-related charges.
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Aydian Ahmad
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Orange County Adopts CDC Initiative to Reduce Fatal & Nonfatal Overdoses
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In order to address the increasing number of overdose deaths related to prescription opioids and illicit drugs, Orange County has engaged with the Centers for Disease Control and recently was awarded a grant funded by the CDC to implement its Stop Overdose campaigns locally.
The series of campaigns focuses on four key areas: the dangers of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, the risks and consequences of mixing drugs (polysubstance use), the lifesaving power of naloxone, and the importance of reducing stigma around recovery and treatment options. The messaging highlights drug-use trends and encourages harm-reduction practices.
“We worked with CDC staff to determine the best messages for our community, and they helped us identify our priorities,” explained Dr. Thomas Hall, director, Orange County Drug-Free Coalition. “The campaigns are based on best-practice marketing strategies, and the messages are simple and direct. Each message has an action associated with the information presented.”
The connecting feature of the campaigns is the Stop Overdose website, which was launched as a resource library for people who use drugs and their loved ones. Each subpage on the website features campaign messaging, support data and resources for the intended audience – those who use drugs between the ages of 18-34.
“There’s a big stigma attached to addiction, so we need to get specific messages out to people who use illicit drugs, including that the community offers access to free medicine that reverses opioid overdoses and free treatment,” asserted Megan Giddens, senior program manager, Orange County Drug-Free Office. “This campaign really helps get these messages to its intended audience.”
Three hundred people die of a drug overdose every day in this country, and the availability of illicit fentanyl significantly increases the likelihood of opioid overdoses and overdose deaths. In our community and across the nation, deaths related to mixing fentanyl with other drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamines, are most prominent.
For more about local strategies, programs and resources, visit Orange County Responds.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration reported 7 out of every 10 pills seized by the agency contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, yet drug users may not know the risk of fentanyl being present,” said Dr. Hall. “Raising awareness of these risks is a priority for Orange County, and the Drug-Free Coalition is committed to expanding harm reduction strategies to reduce drug-related deaths in our community.”
Giddens agreed the priority is saving lives. “We have high overdose rates in this region, so Stop Overdose is a critical education piece,” she said. “We want to be proactive, and this represents an effective preventive measure.”
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18 bodies found in Mexico state plagued by cartel violence, including 9 left with messages attached
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Nine bodies were found Wednesday in a northern Mexican state reeling from a wave of drug cartel-related violence, authorities said, in the second such discovery in as many days. A homicide investigation was launched after the bodies of nine men were found in the city of Morelos in Zacatecas, the state prosecutor’s office said.
It came just one day after nine bodies were found on an avenue in the city of Fresnillo, also in Zacatecas state. Messages addressed to a criminal group were found with those remains, authorities said. The bodies were dumped near a market two days after gang members blocked roads and burned vehicles in response to the capture of 13 suspected criminals. A pickup truck was being examined for evidence, officials said.
The state prosecutor’s office said five of the victims in Fresnillo had been identified and their bodies handed over to relatives.
JESUS ENRIQUEZ/AFP/Getty
Fresnillo is considered by its residents to be the most dangerous city in Mexico.
Around 450,000 people have been murdered across the country since 2006, when the government launched a controversial anti-drug offensive involving the military, according to official figures.
Cartel activity and violence in Zacatecas
Zacatecas, which has one of the highest per-capita homicide rates of any Mexican state, is a key transit point for drugs, especially the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl, moving north to the U.S. border.
Zacatecas has been the scene of bloody turf battles between the Jalisco and Sinaloa drug cartels. The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration told CBS News in 2022 that the two cartels were behind the influx of fentanyl that’s killing tens of thousands of Americans.
Last September, a search team looking for seven kidnapped youths in Zacatecas found six bodies and one survivor in a remote area.
Authorities in Zacatecas confirmed that a U.S. resident was among four people killed in the state around Christmas 2022. Earlier that year the bodies of five men and one woman were found dumped on a roadside in Zacatecas, and the bodies of eight men and two women were found crammed into a pickup truck left near a Christmas tree in the main plaza of the state capital.
The U.S. State Department has issued a “do not travel” advisory for Zacatecas, warning Americans to avoid the state due to the threat of crime.
“Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state,” the advisory says.
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Philly man charged after DEA confiscated over $8M in fentanyl and heroin
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The Berks County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force with the Philadelphia DEA arrested a man who is accused of selling and transporting illegal drugs in Berks County on Tuesday.
Ramon Alberto Jimenez-Merejildo, 35, was charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In March 2024 investigators determined that Jimenez-Merejildo was allegedly selling fentanyl and heroin in Philadelphia and was transporting large amounts of the illegal drugs to Berks County for distribution, according to the Berks County DA’s office.
During the investigation several purchases of the drugs were made from the suspect to law enforcement officers, officials said. Officials said that Jimenez-Merejildo was selling the lethal product in Berks County and storing it at his home on the 7100 block of Brous Avenue in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, April 30, Jimenez-Merejildo was seen leaving his home and traveling to Berks County where he was arrested. Authorities found 106 “bricks” of fentanyl and heroin in his car, police said.
The DEA also obtained a search warrant for his home in Philly where the DA said they found: 257 bricks of fentanyl/heroin, $3,407, 200 grams of bulk fentanyl and a digital scale.
Further into the investigation another search warrant was obtained for a second location in Philly where they found: 16,700 packets of fentanyl/heroin; 11.5 kilograms of bulk fentanyl; packaging materials and paraphernalia; and fentanyl/heroin stamps that read “Redbull”, “Gladiator”, “Apple Jacks” and “Apple”.
“The total street value of the illegal drugs was estimated to be more than 8 million dollars,” the DA’s office said.
Jimenez-Merejildo was arraigned, and his bail was set at $600,000.
The investigation is still ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Kaleah Mcilwain
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.JPG)
NC mother’s tale of daughter’s near-death drugging, possibly from Fentanyl, goes viral
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Glenwood Avenue and Cornerstone Tavern bustle with club-goers before 1 a.m. in the Glenwood South district on Friday, July 21, 2023.
tlong@newsobserver.com
RALEIGH
The phone rang at 3:30 a.m. on a Friday night, and Kelsey Walters woke to chilling news:
Her daughter and a friend took an Uber home from a Glenwood South bar, but by the time the ride ended, they were blacked out in the back seat — unresponsive when the driver tried to shake them awake.
The driver called 911 and EMTs found the two young women with pupils constricted to pinpoints, making the crackling sound of a death rattle. It took Narcan to revive them. When Walters got the call, they were recuperating inside a pair of ambulances, confused about everything.
Facebook post goes viral
As a terrified mother, Walters raced to the scene in Wake Forest, where she found daughter Makayla recovering.
But since then, Walters has posted an account of the ordeal that has found a viral-level audience on Facebook, getting shared more than 2,000 times and singling out what she and her daughter think happened:
Makayla and her friend got drugged with a dose of Fentanyl.
“It just scares me for our kids,” Walters, who lives in Zebulon, said in an interview Wednesday. “If they had died, people would have thought they did it to themselves. And that’s sad.”
Wake Forest police responded to the scene, Walters said, but they came to assist the EMTs and did not file a report or follow up because the incident started in Raleigh. They did ask the women if they had just had too much to drink, at which point they both produced receipts from their phones showing they had purchased only three.
As for her daughter taking the drug on purpose, or getting it accidentally while taking something else, Walters said Makayla is too old at 23 to feel the need to be deceptive. Her friend, she said, is a nurse who gets drug-tested.
“She said, ‘If I had done something at the age of 23, I would have been like, ‘Oh God, Mom, I was so stupid,’“ Walters said.
Fentanyl vs. a roofie
Her Facebook post drew responses from several women who reported similar experiences, one of whom said she was discovered in the woods behind the wheel of her car.
Unlike the more common Rohypnol, a date-rape drug commonly known as a “roofie,” Fentanyl is likely to be fatal.
For that reason, some experts think the synthetic opioid is more unlikely to get slipped into drinks than a roofie.
“If you were to spike someone’s drink with Fentanyl, the odds are you would kill them,” said Dr. Ty Schepis, a researcher at Texas State University, in an online forum last year. “I haven’t heard any stories of spiked drinks or food with Fentanyl because, given how potent the drug is, you’d send someone into overdose.”
Raleigh police spokesman Lt. Jason Borneo did not respond to an emailed question about reports of drink-spiking in the city, particularly around Glenwood South.
A spokesman for NC Alcohol Law Enforcement said he would need to research the issue.
Drinks spiked with animal tranquilizer
At the N&O’s request, Wake County public health officials reached out to experts in UNC’s Street Drug Analysis Lab and at Healing Transitions. They said they had not heard of Fentanyl drugging in bars locally, but it remains possible.
There have been cases of drinks spiked with xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, and Fentanyl samples collected often contain xylazine. Regardless, test strips are available for both drugs, and public health officials recommend anyone in bars watch their drinks being prepared and not leave them unattended.
In 2022, The Guardian listed reports from several women in Austin, Texas, alleging drink-spikings after bar visits with Fentanyl as the suspected substance.
“I don’t know what it was, I was completely fine one second and then the next second throwing up, violently ill, completely black hole, do not remember anything,” said Kara Halderman, a wellness influencer recounting her experience over a TikTok video quoted in the story. “I’ve never had an experience like this.”
Walters said her daughter and friends had both been in a bar on Glenwood South and at a hot dog vendor outside.
While her daughter began showing symptoms in the bar that were serious enough for her friends to call her an Uber, the friend who joined her on the ride to Wake Forest had not.
If her drink was spiked, it could have come from anywhere: a bartender, the hot dog stand or someone watching them. Walters is grateful for the driver and the EMTs being able to help in time.
“I’m thinking just be aware,” Walters said. “So many of my friends have college-age kids.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2024, 2:37 PM.
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“One pill can kill”: Minnesota authorities stress dangers of fentanyl as overdoses rise
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MINNEAPOLIS — One pill can kill — that was the message federal and state partners stressed as illicit fentanyl continues to circulate.
The DEA took about 2.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl off Minnesota streets last year alone. Despite that eye-popping number, it’s not enough.
Fentanyl is a dangerous synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and responsible for ripping families apart, including Michelle Loberg’s.
RELATED: WCCO investigates the fentanyl crisis in Minnesota
Oct. 12, 2020, will always be a dark day for Loberg.
“I just really wanted to say goodnight and tell him I was proud of him,” Loberg said.
Instead, she walked in on her 20-year-old son Nicholas unconscious and suffering from fentanyl poisoning after purchasing what he believed was heroin.
That day she lost a piece of her, but she’s turning her pain into purpose and fighting to save lives.
In 2022, nearly all of the 922 synthetic opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl, according to the state health department.
That’s why federal and state partners are working overtime to keep pills off the streets.
The United States Attorney’s Office along with the Drug Enforcement Administration hosted a community conversation focused on fentanyl awareness and prevention Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s not getting better,” said United States Attorney General Andrew Luger. “It’s getting worse, pills are cheaper, market is being flooded we need to both as much enforcement we can decrease demand.”
And with those cheap counterfeit pills, people may not know what they’re buying is cut with fentanyl.
Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei says seven out of ten pills seized and had two milligrams of fentanyl, which can be lethal.
RELATED: More Minnesotans, including children, succumbing to fentanyl-related deaths
Mattei believes enforcement combined with education can help bring this crisis under control.
“We are not going to be able to out-arrest ourselves out of this, we need the public, partners and teachers,” Mattei said.
Educating on the dangers of just one pill, as law enforcement partners continue investigating and prosecuting.
Getting help for an addiction is available for free 24/7. Call 800-662-HELP to get access to the resources needed.
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Ubah Ali
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Wake County school board approves Naloxone policy
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CARY, N.C. (WTVD) — On Tuesday, Wake County school officials took another step toward putting potentially life-saving medicine into public schools — countywide.
Wake County School Board members approved a new policy Tuesday that would require all schools in the county to keep a supply of Naloxone — also known by its brand name Narcan — and train faculty members on how to use it. Families who have been touched by the fentanyl epidemic say that’s a big win.
“The more we say fentanyl out loud without shame, the more people understand that anybody could die,” said Barb Walsh, a Cary mom and founder of the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina.
Someone’s going to die because Naloxone wasn’t in school. And is that a risk they want to take?
– Barb Walsh, founder of Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina
Barb’s daughter, Sophia, died in August 2021 after drinking from a water bottle that had the dangerous opioid mixed into it. Since then, Barb’s made it her mission to not only support families like hers but also promote life-saving medicine however she can. She founded the Fentanyl Victims Network in August 2022, one year after Sophia died.
“I have a fire extinguisher in my kitchen just in case I have a fire, that’s because I want one,” she said. “Naloxone is the same thing.”
In December, Barb attended a Wake County school board meeting, urging officials to consider requiring Naloxone be put into schools. Now, that’s one step closer to becoming reality, after a new policy was approved — and just needs to be voted on to become official.
“We don’t know where the threat is going to come from. But if we have a tool that can save a life, particularly one of our students’ lives, we want to do everything we can to take those steps,” said board chair Chris Heagarty.
According to state health statistics, Naloxone was used for suspected overdoses 21 times on school grounds statewide last year. Walsh said it’s not worth waiting for more.
“It may not have happened in North Carolina yet. But someone’s going to die because Naloxone wasn’t in school. And is that a risk they want to take?” she said.
Though there’s work to be done — only about 20% of North Carolina’s public school districts have Naloxone policies — the significance of Tuesday’s decision isn’t lost on Walsh.
“It doesn’t take an army. It doesn’t take a lobbyist. It takes a mom who’s lost a child to stand in front of the school board to make this happen. And that’s significant,” she said.
Funding for the new policy is not yet clear. Heagarty said they’ll be targeting possible state and federal funds in addition to county funding out of the superintendent’s budget. The policy will be discussed at a full board meeting in May, and if passed could be in place by next school year.
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Sean Coffey
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.JPG "Glenwood Avenue and Cornerstone Tavern bustle with club-goers before 1 a.m. in the Glenwood South district on Friday, July 21, 2023.")