Xylazine is a non-opioid sedative found in the unregulated drug supply with potentially harmful health impacts, especially when added to illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Xylazine is not responsive to naloxone, leading to complicated fentanyl overdoses.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that a new ordering system will enable providers and New York State residents to order test strips through a partnership with NY MATTERS. These test strips are designed to detect the presence of xylazine that has been mixed in with other substances, such as cocaine or heroin.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) is also making xylazine test strips available to its network of Outreach and Engagement Services providers across the State and through its ongoing training programs.

These efforts are being supported through New York State’s Opioid Settlement Fund and through a federal State Opioid Response Grant. To access ordering information, providers can visit the OASAS harm reduction webpage at https://oasas.ny.gov/xylazine

Narcan

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved selling naloxone over the counter.

The drug would be the first opioid treatment drug to be sold without a prescription.

In New York State, residents can already obtain Narcan from a pharmacy without a prescription thanks to a standing prescription order from the State Department of Health.

The drug can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl and prescription versions including oxycodone.

The FDA sees making naloxone available more widely as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis, which has been linked to more than 100,000 U.S. deaths a year

Emergent BioSolutions, the company that makes Narcan, said they expect the drug will become available over-the-counter by late summer. Other brands of naloxone and injectable forms will not yet be available over the counter, but they could be soon.

Several manufacturers of generic naloxone that’s made similarly to Narcan will now be required to file applications to switch their drugs over the counter as part of a requirement by the FDA.

64-year old Elina Martinez of Miami has been named as the woman arrested after two K9 dogs found nine pounds of pills containing fentanyl in her rental car.

U.S. Attorney Trini Ross said Martinez has been charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute, and distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum of life in prison.

The seized blue pills have an approximate value of $1.3 million and are a counterfeit replica of the authentic M30 Oxycodone tablet.

Due to the rash of fatalities attributed to fentanyl overdoses, the Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a “counterfeit pills fact sheet” attempting to warn the community regarding the dangers of using/abusing these counterfeit drugs.

Drugs seized by police on December 7, 2022

Nineteen people have been arrested following a narcotics investigation into a large scale fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution ring in the Jamestown area.

The Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Narcotics Investigators, and Ellicott Police Department conducted raids on 628 Spring Street and 15 West Cowden Street in Jamestown, and at 252 West Main Street in Falconer on Wednesday afternoon, December 7.

Police seized in the three raids over 107 grams of fentanyl, over 19 grams of methamphetamine, packing materials, a 9mm pistol that was previously reported stolen from the Village of Lakewood, a large capacity ammunition feeding device, and $2,940 in cash.

An investigation in the area led to the traffic stop with Jamestown Police K-9 Kal and Chautauqua County Sheriff’s K-9 Drake discovering the drugs in the search. Police say the total street value of the 50-to-60,000 pills found is estimated at more than $500,000.

A woman was arrested and taken into custody. She will be charged in federal court by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The investigation is on-going.

Garson Butcher

A Jamestown man has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl that led to a death.

U.S. Attorney Trini Ross announced that 30-year old Garson Butcher admitted before U.S. District Judge John Sinatra, Jr. that he distributed fentanyl that caused a death, narcotics conspiracy, and using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between March 2020 and June 2021, Butcher and co-defendant Alisha Centi conspired with others to possess and sell heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

On March 29, 2020, Butcher and Centi sold fentanyl which resulted in the death of an individual. On September 28, 2020, Butcher and Centi sold heroin to an individual who overdosed but regained consciousness after receiving multiple doses of Narcan. In addition, Butcher and Centi used residences on Fairview Avenue and Roland Road to manufacture and distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

Charges remain pending against Alisha Centi.

Butcher will be sentenced on March 14, 2023.

Police photo of drugs seized on November 5, 2022 and Alex Johnson

An investigation into a large scale fentanyl distribution ring resulted in several raids and the arrest of a Falconer man.

Jamestown Police said that members of the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force and Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Narcotics Investigators searched a home in Jamestown and in Falconer on Saturday night. A third search was done on a pick-up truck following a traffic stop.

In that search, detectives located 181.2 grams of fentanyl, 5 doses of LSD, a scale, and $6700 in cash.

22-year old Alex Johnson has been charged with 2nd Degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and 2nd degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Anyone with information about drug or criminal activity is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department Tip Line at 716-483-8477.

rainbow fentanyl

Parents are being warned about fentanyl drugs that look like candy.

The Chautauqua County Health Department, Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene and Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office have issued an alert about “rainbow fentanyl,” which is the name of brightly colored pills that look like candy but are really a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

Fentanyl is sometimes mixed with other illicit drugs and made to look like prescription drugs. Officials say unless a drug is prescribed by a licensed medical professional and dispensed by a legitimate pharmacy, you cannot know if it’s fake or legitimate.

Sheriff Jim Quattrone said “rainbow fentanyl” hasn’t been seen in Chautauqua County at this time.

Kilburn said when it comes to fentanyl the illicit drug supply in the county is deadlier than ever.

Evergreen Health Exchange Coordinator Ian Eastman said fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are 50 to 100 times more powerful than heroin, “When a person has more of an opioid in their system than their system can tolerate, it’s going to shut off the breathing, right, it’s going to retard that breathing and create that emergency situation.”

Eastman said having Narcan available can help prevent fatal overdoses, “It’s probably easier than ever to get Narcan. Some of the ways that you can do is that you can access that by going to my program at Evergreen Health. We’re located at 320 Prather Avenue. We’re there 10 to 4. We can train a person in how to use Narcan and prevent an overdose. It only takes ten minutes to learn how to do that.”

Kilburn said what needs to happen now is increasing the availability of Narcan as well as proven harm reduction programs like the Mental Health Association‘s OD Map Peer Response project, “This project is one in which when the MHA are made aware of an overdose, they make an attempt to reach out to the individual and their family, offer resources support. You might imagine that the receptivity to that varies from perhaps from ‘No thank you’ to ‘What’s out there, what can I do?'”

Kilburn said a full range of local resources can be found online at CombatAddictionCHQ.com.

In response, the Chautauqua Substance Abuse Response Partnership is urging county residents struggling with addiction to seek treatment, advising them that “Now is the Time.” Now is the time to seek help, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT), for several reasons:

• Deadly amounts of fentanyl have been present in the local drug supply;
• Financial, social, psychological, and physical stresses of living through a pandemic increase risk; and
• Access to treatment, including MAT, has never been easier.

Outpatient clinics across the county are working to make access to treatment available for anyone in need, including those for whom travel to a clinic is a barrier.  Telehealth options for medication and for counseling are available through The Resource Center, The Chautauqua Center, UPMC Chautauqua, the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene, and the TLC Health Network. Contact and other information can be found at CombatAddictionCHQ.com.

“Now really is the time for anyone struggling with an addiction and/or emotional pain to seek help through one of the outpatient behavioral health clinics throughout the county,” said , Patricia Brinkiman, Chautauqua County Community Mental Hygiene Services Director. “The risks and dangers of these days are great, but so too are the options for help.”

The Chautauqua County Crisis Hotline, 1-800-724-0461, is available if you are experiencing a personal crisis or are in emotional distress.

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