NASHUA, N.H. —
New numbers show the state's two largest cities are seeing opposite trends in opioid overdoses.
In April, Manchester had its second-highest number of overdoses in a one-month period, while Nashua is seeing its lowest since early 2015.
In Manchester, 301 milligrams of the overdose-reversing drug Narcan was used in Manchester in April – the most ever used in one month.
At two milligrams per dose, first-responders went through 150 boxes of Narcan. It was given to 74 patients in Manchester, compared to just eight in Nashua.
“That tells us that the potency of whatever substance is out there, whatever opioid is being sold, is very, very high, because it takes a lot more Narcan to break through that opioid and reverse the effect,” said Chris Stawasz, regional director for American Medical Response.
Stawasz said that when it comes to opioids, there is no such thing as a “good batch,” but whatever is circulating in Manchester right now is highly dangerous.
It's unclear if carfentanil, a drug 100 times more powerful than fentanyl, is to blame, but it's believed to be responsible for three deaths in the state, two in Manchester.
“Now more than ever, if you think that you are ready to quit, go to a Safe Station – that's why they're there,” Stawasz said. “We're still seeing large numbers of people come in through Safe Station, and without that program, we'd be even higher than we are today.”
Last month, there were 94 overdoses in Manchester, 10 of them deadly – and 11 of them happened on Sunday alone.
But in Nashua, there were 13 overdoses for the whole month, including two deaths.
“It's disappointing,” Stawasz said. “Like anything, there's peaks and valleys, but we're going to be keep doing what we do. That's what we're here for.
At last check, Manchester had seven more overdoses Monday, while there were none reported in Nashua.
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