Portland police issued a warning Tuesday about pills that look like prescription pain medication but contain fentanyl and may have caused a fatal overdose.
An unresponsive woman was found Sunday in a car outside Maine Medical Center, according to police. Doctors were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead. People who were with the woman said she had taken a “blue pill” before she became unresponsive.
Investigators said there has been an increase in the circulation of pills that appear to be prescription 30 mg oxycodone tablets, but they also contain fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid with effects similar to heroin. It is often made illegally and sold with heroin or cocaine, and it is a leading cause of fatal drug overdoses in Maine.
Police are distributing flyers warning people that fake oxycodone hydrochloride tablets are circulating that may be linked to recent overdoses. Adding to their concern is the fact that people who take the pills are unaware what they are taking so are less likely to be with someone who carries the overdose antidote drug naloxone.
Signs of overdose include unresponsiveness, blue lips or fingernails, a slow or non-existent heartbeat, slow or no breathing, pale or clammy skin and pinpoint pupils.
If someone has those signs, 911 should be called immediately.
In addition, naloxone, or Narcan, can be used to try to counteract an overdose.
The treatment is available without a prescription and Portland’s Public Health division offers Narcan at no cost, along with overdose recognition and response training. The India Street Public Health Center accepts walk-in visits for Narcan and a needle exchange program Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or call 874-8446 for further help.
Maine recorded its worst year for drug overdoses in 2020, with 502 deaths. Preliminary numbers for January 2021 indicate the numbers have continued to rise. Maine averaged 42 drug overdose deaths per month in 2020, and initial reports have the state logging 58 confirmed or suspected drug overdose deaths in January, the worst month for fatal overdoses in a year and much higher than January 2020.
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