Wichita police suspect fentanyl-laced oxycodone led to four weekend overdoses, one fatal

A rash of overdoses over the weekend has caused the Wichita Police Department to suspect oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.

The four overdoses happened in different parts of Wichita, Capt. Jeff Allen said. The victims were a 19-year-old man who died after taking one pill, a 16-year-old boy and 23- and 27-year-old men, police said. The three overdose survivors became unconscious after taking the drug.

Allen said the results came back Monday for drugs used in one of the weekend’s cases showed fentanyl was a factor. That, combined with how quickly the victims had a reaction, led officers to suspect fentanyl.

“We suspect that a new batch of this has hit Wichita,” Allen said. “We fear we are going to have more of these.”

Allen said counterfeit oxycodone pills can appear to be the real thing. Ones laced with fentanyl are 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin, police said.

“Even one pill or even less than one pill may cause your death,” Allen said, urging anyone who thinks their oxycodone pill to be counterfeit to not take it.

Allen said a 23-year-old man also died Monday night in an overdose case. He said police won’t know if that death is connected to fentanyl-laced drugs until a toxicology report comes back.

Police offered a few ways people can help those who overdose on fentanyl:

• Call 911
• Administer naloxone (Narcan) right away if it’s available
• Start rescue breathing