Two teenagers in Prince William County died from apparent drug overdoses in 48 hours.
The first call was Sunday, April 24, shortly before 6 p.m., at a home in Woodbridge involving a 15-year-old boy. The second was shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 26 at home in Dale City involving a 14-year-old boy.
According to Prince William police, both deaths appear to be connected to counterfeit forms of the drug Percocet, sometimes referred to as “Perc30.” The counterfeit drugs in both recent incidents were preliminarily tested and confirmed as being laced with fentanyl.
Fentanyl is known to be extremely fatal, even in the smallest doses if the effects of an overdose are not recognized and treated immediately.
While the investigations into the two recent deaths are ongoing, investigators have strong suspicions the victims overdosed after having consumed the fentanyl-laced narcotic. Investigators are awaiting the official cause of death, pending the results of toxicology from the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Police are still looking into how the boys obtained the narcotics.
Police encouraged anyone who is near someone experiencing an overdose to call 9-1-1 and administer Narcan, if available.
The boys’ death also prompted a special message from the police department.
The Police Department recognizes our youth population as most susceptible to peer influence and pressures. We implore parents and guardians to take immediate action to actively engage with their children and loved ones as soon as possible about the dangers of drug use and encourage constructive dialogue to prevent further deaths and illness. If suspected illegal narcotics are found, they should not be handled, call police.
Prince William County Community Services and Prince William County Public Schools offer resources to help families with this discussion and provide assistance if needed. Help is also available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Drug Enforcement Agency provides valuable information to help families understand what to look if someone suspects counterfeit narcotic use.
The Police Department offers medication disposal boxes at each of the three district stations in the county for residents to dispose of narcotics safely, no questions asked.
Synthetic opioid deaths a crisis
According to the CDC, in 2019, 70,630 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses — 4% more than in 2018. Opioids–mainly synthetic opioids (other than methadone)–are currently the main driver of drug overdose deaths.
A total of 72.9% of opioid-involved overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids. Opioids were involved in 49,860 overdose deaths in 2019 (70.6% of all drug overdose deaths.
