Following more than a dozen overdoses in a week, officials in New Haven are warning the public of the dangers of the street drug known as K2.
There were at least seven overdoses linked to the drug between 10 a.m. am and 4 p.m. Thursday.
NBC Connecticut spoke with people in New Haven who say the drug, while not new, is creating new problems in downtown New Haven where more people are attracted to it because of the cheap price and ease of access.
“It’s more popular than crack now, especially downtown New Haven,” says James Thomas, a sextant and outreach minister at the Trinity Church on the Green. Thomas runs a weekly spiritual fellowship that draws close to 100 people, many of whom are struggling with K2 addictions.
“I see a lot of mothers. A lot of people that I grew up with. A lot of kids. It’s sad” says Thomas.
City officials responding to those overdoses continue to warn users that dealers can lace K2 with anything which is what can turn the cheap drug deadly.
“We all know that we’ve seen fentanyl in many of our overdoses and they did result in death,” said Rick Fontana, deputy director of New Haven Emergency Operations.
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“Be careful what you’re doing out in the street. There is no guarantee the life you lose might be your own,” he warns those thinking about taking the drug.
The Trinity Church Spiritual Fellowship Service takes place each Tuesday at noon.
