The Opioid Crisis and Fentanyl
February 21, 2023
Michael Sarhatt
Director of the Chatham Savannah Counter Narcotics Team
Michael Sarhatt, Director of the Chatham Savannah County Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) , spoke to the Skidaway Hamiltons and Abigails on February 21st. The CNT was formed in 1994, consolidating all narcotics activities under one umbrella. Mr. Sarhatt, who reports to the county manager, has 43 agents under him from all the law enforcement agencies in Savannah and Chatham County and 53 people including support staff. He has an excellent major case investigating unit, tactical units doing street level work, a beefed-up intelligence unit, and a tech unit that is as capable as any federal agency.
Opiates come in two forms; natural, like opium or morphine, and synthetic, like OxyContin. There is no difference in the way they affect the body. All are extremely addictive and physiologically alter the brain. Some people are addicted the first time they use opioids. It is not a matter of will power. Opioids may affect the brain for 14 months after use. Rehabs often last only 28 days. Continued use of opioids is deadly. Eventually users will die.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that was developed in the late 1950’s as an intravenous pain relief for terminal cancer patients. It is 50 times more potent than heroin. China has been the main producer, and fentanyl largely comes into the US through Mexico. It arrives in containers and through the mail. There has been a massive increase in the presence of fentanyl because it is cheap. Fentanyl costs $3,500 a kilo, whereas heroin costs $50,000-$60,000 a kilo. A little bit of fentanyl mixed in with heroin produces an intense high. It is important to understand how small the dose of fentanyl is. A Sweet N’ Low packet contains one gram of Sweet N’ Low. One gram equals 1,000 milligrams. 3-5 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal dose. A new user of opioids is particularly vulnerable. All drugs are now being laced with fentanyl. Dealers do this to get people hooked. Mr. Sarhatt is particularly concerned about the presence of fentanyl in marijuana. He also warns that 80% of pills they see on the street are laced with fentanyl. The CNT seizes pill presses all the time. The pills that the presses produce are indistinguishable from that one get at a pharmacy. He urges us to talk to our kids and grandkids. “One pill can kill”.
Opioids slow the respiratory system down. Fentanyl can shut it down and kill instantly. In 2021, there were over 100,000 opioid overdose deaths. It is the #1 cause of death for people between 19 and 45. The fentanyl epidemic is far more deadly than previous drug epidemics because with fentanyl there may be no time for recovery. They CNT is no longer seeing heroin on the street. Fentanyl is being sold cut with fillers like beef tenderizer.
The nasal spray Narcan can be used to reverse an opioid overdose. It blocks the effects of the opioid on the brain and can restore breathing. All emergency medical professionals carry Narcan. The CNT is training 350 officers on the use of Narcan. Because of the potency of fentanyl, multiple doses may be required and when the drug user revises, he may “come up swinging”.
Mr. Sarhatt reviewed the CNT’s response to this crisis. He has assigned two intelligence unit personnel to follow up each overdose, actively chasing drug dealers who sold the fatal dose. The CNT responded to 75 overdoses last year. 56 of them involved fentanyl. The CNT is now working on 7-8 cases where they are preparing a charge of felony murder. Mr. Sarhatt implemented an OD mapping capability so that they can track where lethal sales are taking place. The mapping also provided data that was required to secure a grant to ensure that all law enforcement personnel have Narcan…partially for their own protection. In the past 18 months, the CNT unit has seized 18 kilos of cocaine, 443 kilos of meth, 31 kilos of heroin, and 16.5 kilos of fentanyl, double the amount of fentanyl that would be needed for 1.6 million fatal doses. “The fentanyl epidemic is definitely here in sleepy Savannah”.
Mr. Sarhatt is very active in awareness training and education. He is working very closely with the Savannah/ Chatham County public school systems, and they are “all in”. He also works with major corporations and civic groups. He is in close contact with the Recovery Place and Gateway who work with people in recovery. He regularly attends meetings of Healing Hearts Family Support Group for family members who have lost someone to an overdose. Mr. Sarhatt believes that it is very important for law enforcement to “be at the table” in this fight against opioids. He is actively supporting an emergency call center that is local to this area. Finally, he has been given resources to buy a 32-foot trailer the inside of which will replicate a teenager’s bedroom where he can red-flag hiding places for drugs for the education of parents, companies, and other adult groups.
