Drug Czar Visits Connecticut after Over 100 Overdoses

New Haven, Connecticut, became what officials called "ground zero" Monday for efforts to shine a light on the dangers of drugs, as President Donald Trump's nominee for drug czar visited a city reeling from more than 100 recent overdoses on synthetic marijuana. Jim Carroll met with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Mayor Toni Harp and first responders to discuss the overdoses, as well as the country's opioid crisis. Connecticut officials are setting a national example for getting people into treatment for drug addiction, Carroll said, and he praised local paramedics, police and firefighters for their response to the overdoses last week. "In an incident like this when there is an emergency, you don't call D.C., you don't call an 800 number to an office for the federal government," he said. "You call 911, and that's the first responders that are here in the room. And that's who we need to support." Authorities responded to more than 100 overdoses from synthetic marijuana on Wednesday and Thursday, mostly on the New Haven Green, a historic downtown park next to Yale University. No deaths were reported. Police said Monday that 47 people overdosed, including some who were brought to hospitals multiple times after consuming the drug again once treated. Many of the people who fell ill were in treatment for addiction to other drugs, officials said. First responders described a chaotic scene of people collapsing unconscious at the same t...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Administration and Leadership Source Type: news