Fewer people are dying of fentanyl overdoses in Deschutes County.
But when emergency responders do find people overdosing on the drug, the old way of helping them is no longer as effective.
Fentanyl, already a highly potent synthetic opioid, is now being commonly laced with even more dangerous adulterants. That means Bend Police officers often need to give multiple doses of Narcan, a life-saving naloxone delivery device that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose.
In Deschutes County, the proportion of suspected overdose fatalities involving fentanyl decreased from 66% of all fatal overdoses in 2024 to just 35% in 2025. But at the same time, the chemical makeup of most street fentanyl is changing in ways that make Narcan less effective.
“(Fentanyl) definitely seems like it’s stronger, but so many things are mixed,” said Brittany Sornborger, an officer with the Bend Police Department. “You never know if you’re getting a pure form of something and so the biggest concern is (that) you never know what exactly you’re taking. Because somebody could tell you it’s one thing and it could be laced with other substances.”
Fentanyl is 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl — just few grains of the substance— is enough to kill an average adult.
The most Narcan that Sornborger has ever seen deployed to someone was six doses, and it is not uncommon for someone to receive two to three doses of Narcan before they return to breathing.
The increase of non-opioid adulterants in fentanyl makes it harder for first responders to reverse an overdose, said Lydia Kariakin, the national communications director for the Association of People Against Lethal Drugs. That is because Narcan only counteracts opioids.
“Narcan isn’t even working to some degree anymore,” said Kariakin. “So education is really where it’s at.”
Fentanyl hasn’t necessarily gotten stronger, but its becoming more unpredictable with its dosage and fillers.
In Central Oregon, methamphetamine is the substance most commonly mixed with fentanyl, according to Regional Overdose Response Coordinator Haley Morris. Methamphetamine is a powerful synthetic stimulant, meaning that Narcan does not reverse its effects. Still, Narcan is a preferred first response for someone overdosing.
“When in doubt, always just use Narcan,” Morris said. “Narcan does only work for opioids, but it won’t harm anyone if they don’t happen to have opioids like fentanyl in their system. It’s still safe to give them a dose, and so we still encourage that.”
Ana Woodburn, Deschutes County Health Services harm reduction overdose prevention and response strategist, agrees.
“If someone you know is using any kind of combination of substances which depresses the central nervous system, naloxone still works for the fentanyl or the opioid overdose, but the person may still be sedated,” she said. “We just coach people that when responding to an overdose, we’re looking for someone to return to breathing. Not that they may or may not wake up or become alert. They might, but we’re looking for the breathing to return because commonly those substances, if present, are still mixed with fentanyl, and so naloxone is still the appropriate approach as a first step.”
However, it is recommended that someone visit the hospital after being revived by Narcan because other drugs may still be in their system, which risks another overdose.
“We always hope that they’ll go and get further medical treatment,” said Sornborger.
Bend police officers typically carry at least one dose of Narcan on their belt and have a few extra in their vehicle. Each nasal Narcan dose contains four milligrams of naloxone.
The number of overdoses the Bend Police respond to comes in waves. Officers are often first to respond to reports of an overdose, according to Sornborger.
“Sometimes we won’t have any during the week, and then sometimes we’ll have multiple on the same day,” she said.
During the times in which multiple overdoses occurred on the same day, Sornborger has had to go back to the police department to replenish her supply.
In situations where Narcan needs to be deployed more than once to reverse an overdose, Morris and Woodburn recommend waiting two to three minutes between each dose to give the medication time to interact with the drugs in someone’s system.
“I think it is important for people to know that it’s not necessarily uncommon to need more than one dose of Narcan when responding,” Morris said. “It’s always helpful if folks are able to get more than one dose and have that nearby, just in the case that they may need to use it.”
Narcan is available for free at Mosaic Medical and BestCare, Central Oregon Harm Reduction Coalition events, or at self-serve cabinets at 685 Southeast 3rd Street in Bend or 51340 U.S. Highway 97 in La Pine.
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day. Deschutes County Health Services will highlight overdose awareness, prevention and resources available in the community on its social media that day.