The Chief Medical Examiner is sending a strong message about the dangers of cocaine use as he says there has been a spike in cocaine related deaths—not fentanyl, in the last month.
Dr. Nash Denic says in the last month they have seen 11 suspected cocaine-related deaths, though that number is not yet confirmed as they need to wait for the official toxicology reports to come back which could take up to two months.
He says it is that report which will say what role drugs, including fentanyl, could have played in a person’s death.
Denic wants to get the message across that cocaine is not safe. He says it has been a “culprit” for many decades, and by itself is the dangerous drug.
He says someone may feel perfectly fine and high after one line of cocaine today, but that same line tomorrow could be fatal. “There is no safe dose for cocaine,” says Denic who notes that naloxone cannot help someone who has overdosed on cocaine—the kit will only work for opioids.