Cocaine Laced With Fentanyl Caused 6 Overdoses; 1 'Clinging To Life,' Police Said

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Six people, aged between 23 and 35, overdosed Tuesday in the Bailey's Crossroads area on a batch of cocaine laced with fentanyl, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said the people were found Tuesday morning in the 5500 block of Seminary Road in the Bailey's Crossroads area. The people came from Babylon Futbol Cafe back to their apartment before the overdose. The mother of one of the victims found six unconscious people inside the apartment and called 911.

Rescue personnel and police officers administered Narcan, which Davis credits with saving their lives. The police chief said one person is "clinging to life" and five are recovering after the overdoses. A white substance was found inside the apartment and was sent for analysis to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science.

Throughout 2021 so far, Fairfax County officers responded to 201 overdoses, 55 of which were fatal. There were 239 overdoses in all of 2020, up 51 percent from 2019. Eighty of these were fatal, and 45 of these involved fentanyl as a contributor.

"Fatal doses of cocaine and heroine are often laced with fentanyl and car fentanyl, which are dangerous synthetic opioids that can be lethal with even the smallest dose," said Davis.

Davis said he wanted to inform the community about the presence of the fentanyl-laced cocaine so Fairfax County and other localities in the DC region could avoid more overdoses.

In an emergency, residents can call CSB Emergency Services at 703-573-5679 or the Fairfax Detoxification Center at 703-502-7000. Both numbers are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Fairfax County residents who need help overcoming drug dependence can call the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board at 703-383-8500. Residents can also visit the Merrifield Center at 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in Fairfax from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is needed.

The CSB has partnered with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to launch REVIVE!, a program that makes naloxone available to lay rescuers to reverse opioid overdoses.

REVIVE! trains people on what to do and not do in an overdose situation, how to administer naloxone, and what to do afterwards. Following the training, CSB will dispense free naloxone to attendees who are residents of Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.