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20 overdoses in 3 days: Opioid crisis continues to alarm Lowell residents

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An alarming number of overdoses in the city of Lowell has residents and city officials concerned with the state of public health.

Lowell emergency responders are dealing with an alarming spike of overdoses this weekend - 20 overdoses were reported in just three days.

None of the overdoses were fatal, but the city council made a rule to notify the community whenever the number of overdoses exceeded twenty in just three days.

Fire Chief Jeff Winward worries the underlying cause for these overdoses is a strong batch of drugs that's been putting more lives at risk than usual.

However, despite the recent spike in overdoses, Chief Winward says the number of overdose deaths has gone down overall in the city.

So far this year, five people have died from opioids.

"When firefighters and other first responders are continuously responding to these calls it’s very stressful," said Winward.

The city of Lowell is one of only 35 cities in the country to use an app called First Watch, where they can track where overdoses are happening and can get EMS to the location faster.

"They can get a gage of what’s happening and where it’s happening live in the city, and then each one of those pins is a patient care report," said Jon Kelley, an emergency responder who oversees First Watch for the city. "I think the availability for the city to respond instantly as the threat increases is critical to helping to save lives."

Winward says his crews worked hard and managed to save all twenty users who overdosed this weekend, but fears there could be more.

"What we worry about is the people that are using by themselves," said Winward.

He says the spike in overdoses may be due to the fact that people aren't just getting high off heroin anymore.

"Our fear is there’s more and more fentanyl out there today and we’re guessing there’s an extra strong batch of either heroin or heroin-fentanyl mix out in the streets," said fire chief Winward.

Winward hopes family members of drug users will have Narcan handy or that they'll at least check on their loved ones to make sure no one dies from the drugs circulating in Lowell right now.

"Every time we can revive somebody it’s one more opportunity that person can change the path of their life," said Kelley.

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