PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 July is the deadliest month for overdoses in Maricopa County, according to new data, and Phoenix firefighters say heat and substances \u2014 including alcohol and prescription medications \u2014 are a dangerous mix.<\/p>\n
County health data<\/a> show 55% of heat-related deaths last year involved drugs or alcohol. Of the 236 people who died from the combination of heat and substances, nearly all involved stimulants. Opioids accounted for less than 47% of heat-related deaths involving substances last year.<\/p>\n Substances can hide warning signs<\/p>\n Phoenix Fire Captain Mike Johnson said substances can prevent people from recognizing the signs of heat illness.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can really kind of mask symptoms that they\u2019re having,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThey might not be realizing that they are not sweating anymore or that they\u2019re thirsty.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson said stimulants pose a particular risk in high temperatures.<\/p>\n \u201cStimulants also really increase the internal temperature of your body,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n Heat stroke can set in quickly<\/p>\n Johnson said a person may not realize their core temperature is climbing until they are already in danger.<\/p>\n \u201cHeat stroke is definitely a life-threatening emergency and it happens very quickly, especially once you start getting into that altered state,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThat\u2019s heat stroke and that can be a life-threatening emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n Alcohol and prescriptions also a risk<\/p>\n Johnson said alcohol and some blood pressure medications can also leave people vulnerable, particularly if they are not drinking enough water.<\/p>\n Firefighters also warned that collapsing outdoors carries an additional hazard.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you were to pass out in this heat, you\u2019re not only looking at heat exhaustion, now you can be talking about burn injuries with how hot our sidewalks and roads are getting,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n Call 911 if someone needs help<\/p>\n Firefighters are urging community members to watch for people who may need assistance and to call 911 immediately.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n