The State of Alaska, along with the Kenai Peninsula, has seen the results from increased drug use over the past year, with law enforcement agencies citing heroin as a major factor.
The city of Juneau has recently experienced a potentially tainted string of heroin and Juneau Police Department Lieutenant Kris Sell says now there’s a reward being offered.
Sell: “Juneau CrimeLine is offerning a reward of up to $500 for information leading to the source of Chinawhite heroin that was recently imported into Juneau. This heroin is rumored to be cut with fentanyl which is a prescription pain killer. This type of heroin is associated with a spike of overdoses that started on or about November 13.”
Juneau’s Bartlett Regional Hospital Chief Executive Officer Chuck Bill says they are researching what can be done to help.
Bill: “Obviously our emergency department plays a big role in the care of those patients when they are identified early enough, the thing about heroin is that the overdose can be so easily fatal that those patients don’t get to us at times. But more importantly we can help in a couple of areas, we’re gearing up to be able to do more in Rainforest Recovery with the addiction and recovery. And also we’ve got a broad education department.”
Bill says that education department will be used to train police and first responders.
Kenai Peninsula law enforcement agencies and doctors say heroin is a growing problem locally as well.