The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) is increasingly receiving calls for drug overdose cases, acknowledged this morning in an interview on the program "900 Seconds" (TV3) by the head of EMS, Liene Cipule, reports LETA.
According to her, the number of such cases has been demonstrating a stable upward trend for a long time. Moreover, people suffering from overdoses are getting younger, which necessitates special measures to reduce this trend.
Cipule explained that one of the reasons for this situation could be changes in drug trafficking. Previously, buyers and sellers often knew each other, and the quality of illegal substances was an important aspect for continuing such relationships, but now drug trafficking has become significantly more impersonal and occurs remotely. As a result, new pills often do not match those that were purchased previously, increasing the risk of overdose.
There are also changes in drug consumption habits: young people use them not only, for example, at parties or events, but also in much more ordinary situations. According to Cipule, access to drugs has often become easier than access to alcohol.
The head of the Emergency Medical Service also acknowledged that from time to time there are spikes in overdose cases, which may be related to the emergence of new batches of drugs or new narcotic substances on the market.
As previously reported, in September, a young woman died in a hospital in Kuldiga after overdosing on synthetic drugs. Three other adult patients, who may have also consumed narcotic substances, were hospitalized in the same hospital.
The police warn that the popularity of synthetic drugs is growing, which can pose a serious health threat, as these substances are extremely potent, and even small doses can lead to death. Currently, synthetic opioids are available in various forms and can even resemble candies, which may create a false impression of their harmlessness for the consumer. However, this opinion is misguided. Often, the actual composition of the substance on the black market differs significantly from what the seller claims, making drug use particularly dangerous and unpredictable.
