Officials want to examine the composition of street drugs earlier to reduce overdoses in Lexington

Fayette County health officials are working to find ways to combat a rise in nonfatal drug overdoses in Lexington. Last week, 24 such overdoses were reported in three days. John Moses, head of the health department's harm reduction team, said there can normally be 10 to 17 nonfatal overdoses in an entire week.

“We never know exactly what the cause is or where it's going because it's constantly changing. But I fear this trend will continue,” Moses said.

Moses said the reality of a fatal overdose is that a toxicology report offers more answers. Moses noted that mixing a horse tranquilizer with fentanyl is a big problem in overdoses. He added that getting more naloxone out is always critical to reverse the effects of an overdose. Moses said there are new efforts to identify appropriate drugs.

“We are currently putting together a research project that could help us determine what drugs are on the street within a week of residue testing,” Moses said.

In addition to making the drug Narcan more widely available to treat overdoses, Moses recommends not using drugs alone, having someone nearby who is not using the same drug, and not using drugs at the same time. Moses said the overarching goal is to address the root causes of drug use, which can include poverty and domestic violence.

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