What to Know
- Over the course of four days during the Independence Day holiday, Richmond County in New York reported 10 overdoses, authorities announced
- DA Michael McMahon reported that between July 4 and July 7, three fatal and seven non-fatal overdoses took place in Staten Island
- There have been 60 suspected fatal overdoses and an additional 149 Naloxone saves so far this year in Staten Island, McMahon said
Over the course of four days during the Independence Day holiday, Richmond County in New York reported 10 overdoses, some which proved to be fatal, authorities announced Monday.
District Attorney Michael McMahon reported that between July 4 and July 7, three fatal and seven non-fatal overdoses took place in Staten Island.
According to McMahon, who reported a spike in overdoses in Staten Island and called the heroin epidemic “an out-of-control fire,” there have been 60 suspected fatal overdoses and an additional 149 Naloxone saves so far this year.
Authorities say that last week’s victims included both men and women ranging between 19 and 60 years old, with most overdoses taking place inside private homes and two of the non-fatal overdoses occurring in public places: inside a Burger King bathroom and inside a bathroom at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.
“This 4th of July tragedy is another alarming spike and we want everyone out there to know there is deadly poison on our streets. What our Overdose Response Initiative analysis data tells us is that many of the recent victims had either prior overdoses or known drug use,” McMahon said in a statement.
