AUDIO – STILL TOO MANY –

Oct. 9, 2024 – Drug overdose deaths nationwide are down 10% compared to last year, according to federal data. That’s a big drop in contrast to the skyrocketing overdose death rates seen over the past few years along with an increasing supply of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.

We haven’t seen a diminished supply in the Rocky Mountain region,” said Weis.

Weis says the volume of fentanyl seizures in Montana may be the same as 2023, which was a record-breaking year. Fentanyl pill prices also remain low, at about $5, meaning there are plenty of those pills on the black market.

He says it’s too early to tell if supplies here will drop like in other parts of the country. But he says there may be signs that could happen. Federal investigators are finding some batches of fentanyl are weaker than in the past, which may mean traffickers are trying to stretch supplies.

CONTINUE@MTPR