OCEANSIDE — Six men were revived with an opioid antagonist on July 14 after they all experienced a fentanyl overdose next to the Oceanside Pier.
First responders found six adult men overdosing on the “highly potent and often deadly drug” at Seagaze Park, located to the south of the Oceanside Pier, according to authorities.
Responders administered naloxone, an antidote for opioid and fentanyl overdose, to revive all six men, who would have likely died due to the “extreme effects of the drug” and without a quick response. In addition to police, the fire department sent one fire engine, one paramedic squad, three ambulances, two lifeguard trucks and one battalion chief to the scene.
After receiving treatment, all six men ultimately refused transport to the hospital against the advice of paramedics on the scene.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is causing an increasing number of deaths each year. In the United States alone, over 72,000 deaths related to synthetic opioids occurred in 2022.
While pharmaceutical fentanyl is regularly administered to pain management patients in a clinical setting, the use of opioids from unknown and illicit sources is not accurately measured.
“When produced in a non-clinical setting, fentanyl batches can result in extremely high concentrations due to uneven mixing,” said Fire Battalion Chief Blake Dorse via email. “That is what makes illicit Fentanyl so dangerous, is that one hit can literally kill you. The dose is simply not consistent, so there is no way for users to truly gauge what a ‘dose’ is. The users have no idea if one hit is a high concentration or a low concentration.”
Both the fire and police departments are imploring the public to avoid drugs and encourage people to carry Naloxone to help in the event they come across a friend or family member in the midst of an opioid or fentanyl overdose. The antidote is easy to administer and can be purchased at drug stores or obtained for free.
