Michigan: Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson is urging people to be vigilant about the dangers of fentanyl after four people overdosed Wednesday at a work site in Genesee County.

On Wednesday, March 6 at about 12 p.m., four people who were working at a building site on the north end of Flint overdosed on fentanyl, Swanson said.

He said when the first person went down, Genesee County medics responded and began administering Narcan, and then the other three went down shortly after.

Swanson said in the last calendar year, 233 people died due to fentanyl overdoses in Genesee County, and that does not include the 730 who also overdosed and were brought back with Narcan.

The sheriff said the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) is not solely about working to stop human oppression in the human trafficking trade; it is also doing all it can to stop the drug trade.

However, people are still overdosing.

The problem is something Covenant Healthcare emergency medicine physician Walker Foland can attest to in his many years on the job.

“Deaths from opiates have been increasing a lot over the last several years,” he said. “During this year, I feel like I’ve been seeing more of it.”

Just a very small amount of fentanyl can be deadly. The CDC calls opioids the main driver of drug overdose deaths. Foland cited a statistic showing 70 percent come from fentanyl.

“That’s about four times as much as it used to be,” he said.

Foland said Narcan is a powerful tool. It reverses the effects of opioids -- including fentanyl, which is something he’s seen first-hand.

“Get somebody that pulls up in a car with somebody who has had an opiate overdose. It takes a lot of resources and time for us to get that patient back to the ER,” he said. “Narcan is our primary tool that we can use to help save lives.”

Swanson said in some instances, people could be thinking they’re getting another drug and it could be laced with fentanyl, causing their body to shut down.

He is also urging people to be aware of their limitations when it comes to the safe use of opioids.

“I know that opiates, that is something that is gonna be here for pain management, and they’re something good for that, but like anything, it’s a danger. And you have to be aware – as do I – as to what our limitations are,” Swanson said.

The sheriff is urging people to prepare themselves to deal with a crisis, asking that if they don’t already have Narcan, they get some for free at the Genesee County Jail.

He is also asking those who are struggling with addiction, or know someone who is, to reach out for resources that can help them overcome.

“Doing nothing is not an option because this will not stop,” Swanson said, holding up a bag of fentanyl.