HORRY CO., SC (WBTW)- Officials say an increase in overdose deaths in South Carolina involving cocaine could be due to the drug being mixed with synthetic opioid fentanyl.
The Horry County Police Department and Myrtle Beach Fire rescue said they’ve seen an increase in the cocaine laced with fentanyl.
DHEC said statewide, deaths involving fentanyl and cocaine increased roughly 1,160 percent since 2014, and killed 88 people last year.
Horry County Coroner Robert Edge, said 18 people died from fentanyl so far this year, and a few of those died from the mixture of fentanyl and cocaine.
He said that number could be higher. He recently sent 25 cases to SLED for testing, and believes at least half will be drug related deaths.
“It’s a hard war to fight and one of our biggest things is that people will not tell where they got it at, so I think we could curb it more if we could get some help in that direction,” said Coroner Robert Edge.
Coroner Edge said he sees a wide range of people die from overdosing.
“It’s a mixture of black, white, rich poor, in between, blue collar, it’s affecting everybody in that lifestyle.” said Edge.
Fentanyl is a painkiller considered to be up to 100 times stronger than morphine and is often mixed with drugs to increase their potency.
“Unless you get some help real fast, it’s going to kill you,” said Edge.
“A lot of these things are used for animals and animal tranquilizers so when it comes to humans taking those that’s when we start seeing a lot more issues because its not meant for our bodies,” said Lt. Jonathan Evans, with the Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue.
Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue said because of the potency they have to be careful themselves.
“It’s one of those things we have to worry about and are concerned about and think about when we’re touching them so we don’t get an exposure for ourselves,” said Lt. Evans.
Last year, more than 130 people died from heroin or fentanyl in Horry County, and the coroner said that number has been running about the same the last two years.