Brandon Twp.- For the second time in less than two weeks, police and medics responded to a heroin overdose in the township.
Like the last time, the man who overdosed was saved, this time by the fast actions of his brother and the use of Narcan on the victim by responding Brandon medics.
According to an Oakland County Sheriff’s Office report, Brandon deputies responded just before 2 p.m., Jan. 28, to the 4500 block of Wildwood Loop for a report of a drug overdose, with the subject not breathing. Upon arrival, a man was administering CPR to his unconscious 21-year-old brother. The complainant said he had been doing CPR for 10 minutes, begun right after he dialed 9-1-1. The man said his brother is a heroin addict who was talking to him and then suddenly seized up and passed out. The complainant believes the victim had been using heroin.
Medics administered Narcan, which counters the effects of opioids, to the victim, who regained consciousness and began talking and responding to questions.
A used needle was confiscated from the victim’s bedroom. The victim told police he had been recovering from heroin for the past couple months and relapsed this date. He was taken to the hospital and encouraged to stay away from heroin and take care of himself.
This incident followed one in which police and medics were called on Jan. 16 to the Citgo gas station, 495 S. Ortonville Road, after a 24-year-old man overdosed on heroin in the parking lot after shooting up with a friend. Both are local men. The 24-year-old recovered at the hospital.
Lt. Brent Miles of the OCSO Narcotics Enforcement Team, said N.E.T. conducted 801 drug investigations in the county in 2014. While these included a wide range of drugs, he said heroin cases are up more than 230 percent from 2013.