SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Fentanyl is cheaper than ever and is now easier to find in KELOLAND. Locally, it’s also killing more people.
Since the beginning of 2021, drug overdoses have killed 80 people – and that’s just in Sioux Falls.
When it comes to fentanyl, one pill can kill… and in many cases people don’t even know that they’re about to get a lethal dose of a drug that’s 100 times more potent than morphine.
“Marijuana is laced with fentanyl, opioids are laced with fentanyl, everything is laced with fentanyl right now,” said Vicki Perrault.
In our Inside KELOLAND Special Report on Saturday, we will hear from families struggling with loss.
“She was special. She had a laugh that was contagious. And… no, she was just everything,” Jim Orr said of his daughter Kelcy.
We’ll also look at the efforts to stop the drug from getting here.
“The supply of fentanyl is rising, the street value is going down. So when people are paying less you know there is more supply out there. So we are seeing the affects of that as the supply is readily available,” said Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum.
It’s an issue that’s close to our hearts at KELOLAND Media Group. Fentanyl impacted our entire station when Angela Kennecke’s daughter Emily died of fentanyl poisoning at the age of 21.
“She was very talented. Talented artist. A gifted athlete, a gifted student. A very gregarious person, very outgoing, just a wonderful kid and I miss her every day,” Kennecke said.
Angela left the anchor desk to run her non profit full time. Emily’s Hope is leading the way in prevention and recovery programs in our region.
From education to fentanyl test strips and Naloxone, there are more tools than ever before. There are also medications that can help with recovery.
“What it does is it minimizes the withdrawal symptoms. It helps out with the cravings, and over long term, a patient who continues to be on suboxone it helps their recovery process by regulating the brain chemistry and minimizing the cravings,” Dr. Vivek Anand said.
From prevention to recovery to stories of grief and survival we’ll give you a look at how the “pill that can kill” is impacting hundreds of lives in KELOLAND.
Inside KELOLAND – The Fentanyl Crisis will air tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. Central Time on KELOLAND Television. We will have an encore presentation following the late local news on Sunday Night.
