BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — Officials in Beaver County are trying to get to the bottom of a spike in heroin overdoses that resulted in seven deaths in nine days.
“So many deaths in so little days. We're trying to find a connection. We’re talking to other police departments to see if it's the same mixture, the same packaging. No clear-cut answers yet,” Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier said.
For Brandyn Massie, a recovering addict, the recent overdoses are a reminder of why he has worked to stay clean for the last 18 months.
The turning point for Massie came when his younger brother died of a heroin overdose.
“Standing over my brother’s casket wasn’t easy for me. I knew what I was doing and I kissed his cold forehead and I was like, no, man, this isn’t how life’s supposed to be. He’s with me in this fight. I carry his spirit with me. I tell his story,” Massie said.
Determined to stay clean and to support other addicts who need help or feel alone, Massie created a Facebook page called Battle Rebels Against Drugs.
“I'm doing good. I'm doing awesome, and I hope to change other addicts’ lives for the better,” he said.
Numbers obtained by Channel 11 News show the scope of the heroin problem in Beaver County, where overdoses have already doubled over last year. There have been 68 deaths, with 20 pending test results, and 515 total overdoses.
Among the seven deaths in the last nine days was one in Ambridge, where there have been 70 overdoses so far this year, including one man who overdosed 12 times in a month. There have been six deaths.
Meanwhile, two of the seven deaths were in Monaca. The police chief said the community has seen a total of 30 overdoses.
Cox Media Group
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