Oneida County issues second overdose spike alert within the week

ONEIDA COUNTY- Authorities from the Overdose Response Team have issued their second overdose spike alert in only a week.

This update develops in the wake of an additional five overdoses confirmed in the Utica, NY area between Wednesday and Thursday, none of which were fatal.

Although it’s still unknown as of this report if any fentanyl was involved, it is confirmed that these overdoses included traces of heroin and synthetic marijuana.

The previous overdose spike alert was issued Monday, where investigators looked into nine overdoses occurred in the cities of Utica and Rome between August 11 and August 13, 2023.

One of the overdoses that took place on August 13 in Utica was fatal, officials said.

That group of overdoses involved heroin and methamphetamine and other yet-to-be identified drugs.

Fentanyl is suspected to have been a factor in those incidents.

DEA image.