Those resources include overdose-reversing drugs like Narcan, which are distributed by the state at pickup sites like public health centers. Some kits also have fentanyl test strips. There are three pickup locations in the Central Peninsula area, and you can find a map with all sites statewide at health.alaska.gov.
State law enforcement is spearheading a new statewide advertising campaign, part of a massive effort to curb drug trafficking and overdoses in Alaska. The initiative is supported by the combined efforts of nearly two dozen agencies in the state, including the Kenai Police Department.
Alaska experienced the largest percent increase of drug overdose deaths of any state between 2020 and 2021. That’s according to State Troopers, who are responding to the state’s critically high overdose rates with a new advertising campaign, announced yesterday.
The campaign is linked to Alaska’s designation as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a categorization Alaska’s had since 2018 that allows law enforcement agencies around the state to get help from the federal government to track and seize illegal narcotics. The new campaign is focused on encouraging Alaskans to report drug trafficking to their local law enforcement agencies when they see it in their communities — including Kenai.
“Kenai and the Kenai area is similar to any small town in America, and there are drug-related issues,” Lieutenant Ben Langham said.
According to Langham, the initiative allows the Kenai Police Department to keep on staff one officer who is a part of the statewide drug enforcement unit, and to pay other officers to work overtime on drug-related cases.
Langham said KPD’s efforts haven’t changed drastically since the drug trafficking area designation, other than that extra funding. But he said the effort has had a major impact on drug investigations statewide.
State Trooper spokesperson Austin McDaniel said last year, troopers and other agencies seized more than 212 pounds of illegal drugs — a record year for drug seizure in the state.
“In 2021, Alaska saw an unfortunately high rate of overdoses compared to previous years,” McDaniel said. “So Alaska law enforcement community responded to that at the local, state and federal level to address the most dangerous drug that we’re coming across, which is fentanyl.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is much more potent than other narcotics like morphine. It’s also much more deadly — McDaniel said just two milligrams can kill the average person.
Langham, in Kenai, said anecdotally his department has seen an increase in drug overdoses in the past couple years on the peninsula — especially from fentanyl.
He said it’s important for the public to know about the unique danger of the drug.
“When it’s used appropriately, as it’s intended to be, it certainly has a place in modern medicine, but in terms of unsupervised use, we are seeing an increase in overdoses and it does present a danger to the public,” Langham said.
He said KPD has seen a rise in fentanyl disguised as other drugs like ibuprofen, or added into other illicit drugs like meth.
“I would encourage people that are using drugs to not use drugs,” he said. “But those that are going to use drugs, be incredibly careful of where you’re getting it from and have resources on hand that will help save your life in the event that there is an overdose.”
