Massachusetts State Police Colonel Superintendent Tim Alben tweeted today that since December 1, 2014 detectives have responded to 53 “suspected” heroin/opiate deaths statewide. Sixteen of those responses were just last weekend.
According to Channel 5 Boston, the deaths have been reported across the state, and in many cases the heroin was purchased in urban areas but the deaths were in middle-class, suburban areas.
Alben noted on his twitter feed that heroin related deaths in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield are not included in the 53 suspected deaths since those cities keep their own numbers, so the number of related heroin deaths could be higher.
Channel 5 reports that officials said they are waiting for results from the medical examiner to figure out what is in the heroin causing the increase in deaths.
The State Police tweeted today about two heroin busts. See tweets below.
added at 7:13 p.m. 12/16 – statement from Alben.
Massachusetts State Police Colonel Timothy P. Alben makes a statement regarding suspected heroin deaths across Massachusetts:
Since December 1st, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to our District Attorney’s Offices across the state have responded to 58 suspected heroin/opiate related deaths across the state. Our investigators, working in conjunction with local police, draw these preliminary conclusions based upon evidence located at death scenes and interviews with witnesses, family or friends. The department is currently cataloguing and comparing evidence to determine whether any common patterns or similarities exist in terms of the composition, brands, or sources of the narcotics. That effort is ongoing and we have reached no conclusions as of yet.
One area in which there are no commonalities are the locations of these suspected overdose deaths. They are occurring in cities and towns, large and small, urban, suburban and rural, in all regions of the state.
Based on many years of investigative work, we know that narcotics purchased on the street can have widely varying concentrations and may contain toxic chemical additives or impurities. While the causes of these deaths are suspected overdoses, the official cause of death will not be confirmed until the Medical Examiner performs toxicology testing, which generally takes several weeks.
The Massachusetts State Police, working with the DEA and local police across Massachusetts, continue to target the illegal drug trade – from the street level, up the supply chain, to major dealers. We recognize, however, that enforcement is but one component in mitigating this public health threat. Treatment and counseling strategies currently being employed by public and private health agencies offer the best opportunities for assistance with substance abuse issues. We raise these concerns in the hope that families, friends and acquaintances of those suffering from addiction might better understand the hidden dangers of heroin use and direct those with addictions to sources of help and rehabilitation. If one person heeds this message it may prevent the loss of a life.
Below is a map of the suspected heroin overdose locations and numbers since December 1st in Massachusetts. Boston, Springfield and Worcester data is not included in this chart.
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Man Arrested for #Heroin Possession in #Taunton. See http://t.co/90LpQ5BtSJ on MSPnews. pic.twitter.com/cc8JlIBXFG
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) December 16, 2014
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Two Arrested for #Heroin Offenses in #Greenfield. See http://t.co/tdsDeklw1s on MSPnews. pic.twitter.com/UFGRkpkjgO
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) December 16, 2014
Since 12/1 @MassStatePolice Detectives have responded to 53 “suspected” heroin/opiate deaths statewide. 16 of those just last weekend.
— Tim Alben (@TimAlben) December 16, 2014
UPTON DAILY 