Syracuse, NY (NCC News) — Syracuse, along with the rest of Onondaga County, has seen an increase in overdoses related to heroin, an opioid that’s risen in popularity in the county.
Usually drug-related problems are cited as a city problem, until they possibly spread into the suburban areas, causing a county crisis.
“I think we’ve seen a decrease in heroin use, but I don’t know if that means there’s been a decrease in drug use,” said Officer B.L. Sparks of the Manlius Police Department. “There’s definitely been drug use, it’s just varying in the types.”
Sparks said 26 heroin-related overdoses occurred in 2020 in Onondaga County, then lowered to a total of 15 in 2021, yet overall drug activity has increased. Sparks also says the COVID-19 pandemic is a strong factor in the amount of drug activity the Manlius area has endured, citing mental health issues as a downside.
“I think we see a lot of similarities, that mirrors if someone has a mental health issue, they’re gonna be using drugs. And vice versa,” said Sparks.
Sparks believes the total of heroin overdoses in Manlius will continue to lower, but for areas that are economically challenged, the total will possibly rise.
“These medications, pain medications, substance-abuse medications. Anything that will effectively attach to our opioid agonist, as we call them, will cause an additional need for more,” said Dr. Brijan Patel, a pharmacist for CVS Pharmacy in Syracuse.
Patel also says heroin affects sleeping, breathing, and a person’s heart rate, which makes it difficult for a person to quit using heroin. But at some point, a body tends to wear off the effects of heroin and other opioids.
“Usually the effects start to wean off,” said Patel. “A lot of patients will need a higher dose of, let’s say one opioid, that high dose needs to be a high need for it which will lead to an addiction.”
Onondaga County, like the rest of they country, continues to search for ways to solve the opioid epidemic.
