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Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) hosted first responders from around Ohio’s 5^th Congressional District at an event at Lourdes University in Sylvania this morning to discuss safety when encountering fentanyl and other narcotics. Office of the National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director Jim Carroll and Ohio State Highway Patrol Crime Lab Director Brandon Werry both addressed law enforcement, fire chiefs, and EMTs from more than 30 jurisdictions around Northwest and West Central Ohio. Discussion revolved around proper procedures when entering potential areas where narcotics may be present and steps that first responders should take if they believe they have come into contact with fentanyl.

Latta held the event after discussing cases of fentanyl exposure with first responders recently. There have been a number of high profile instances in recent months of law enforcement potentially being exposed to fentanyl or other dangerous narcotics.

“While deaths from overdoses caused by heroin or prescription drugs are leveling out, the number of deaths due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl continue to rise,” said Latta. “The increased usage of fentanyl also puts law enforcement, firefighters, and EMTs in harm’s way. First responders have asked for a protocol on what to do when encountering fentanyl, so I asked experts at the state and Federal level for the best information to help them do their jobs in the safest way possible. I’m hopeful that knowledge gleaned from today’s discussion will aid our first responders as they protect our communities.”

Latta has been a leader in Congress on efforts to combat the opioid epidemic including authoring the INFO Act, which was included in bipartisan legislation that is awaiting the President’s signature.

In 2016, 4,050 Ohio residents died of unintentional drug overdoses, the highest in the nation and a 32% increase over 2015. Overdose deaths increased to 4,854 in 2017, a 19.9% increase. More than 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids. That number nearly doubled over the past decade, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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