GREENFIELD — There were three overdoses in Greenfield this weekend though none of them resulted in death, according to area police.
The overdoses came at the same time as there were six reported overdoses in Northampton in a 24-hour period, with five related to heroin. Northampton Police believe there to be a particularly bad batch of heroin in the area.
“We always are on alert at this stage of the game,” said Greenfield Police Lt. William Gordon.
Gordon said if someone sees an overdose, to report it right away. If the parties involved have heroin in possession, they will not be charged for the drugs.
“It’s more important to save lives than to charge people,” Gordon said. “If someone suspects someone of having a heroin overdose, call 911 right away.”
The state police did not respond to any of the overdoses in the region this weekend because there were no deaths.
Opioid Task Force co-chairman and Franklin County Jail Sheriff Chris Donelan said the weekend’s incident shows the need to continue fighting against the epidemic.
“For all the work we do and for all the warning we do, there’s still a huge problem out there and people are still ignoring the risks and engaging in this behavior,” Donelan said.
He added that it solidified what they know as well — heroin travels along the highway.
“This stuff is heading north on (Interstate) 91,” Donelan said. “We’re not on an island here.”
Donelan said it is difficult to be proactive when there is a suspected bad batch, aside from alerting people.
“Unfortunately it’s an underground network because it’s an illegal activity,” Donelan said.
He added, “It happens so quickly lots of times, there isn’t time to respond.”