Charleston deputies recover enough fentanyl in West Ashley to kill 570,000 people (2024)

FAQs

Does Charleston, SC have a drug problem? ›

Heroin availability, distribution, and abuse are concentrated in Charleston (Low Country), in Greenville (Upstate), and in Columbia (Midlands). Club drugs are an emerging threat in the Upstate and the northeastern Pee Dee area, home to the popular tourist destination of Myrtle Beach.

What you need to know: From January to April 2024, the state's Counterdrug Task Force has helped law enforcement agencies seize more than 5.8 million pills containing fentanyl across California, including at ports of entry along the southern border.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat patients with chronic severe pain or severe pain following surgery. Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance that is similar to morphine but about 100 times more potent.

In Harris County, the most populous county in Texas, there has been an astounding 457% increase in fentanyl involved deaths over the past four years, from 104 in 2019 to 579 in 2022. In 2022, almost half (49%) of drug-related deaths in Harris County involved fentanyl, fentanyl analogs or another synthetic opioid.

The crimes and violence associated with Mexican drug trafficking organizations can reach almost anywhere in the United States, as evidenced by a 2014 kidnapping in rural South Carolina that resulted in the convictions of three cartel-connected men—one of whom was recently sentenced to more than five decades in prison.

How safe is Charleston, SC? The metropolitan area's violent crime rate was lower than the national rate in 2022. Its rate of property crime was lower than the national rate.

While fentanyl can be absorbed across the skin, this happens only with constant direct contact over hours and days. Still, you should avoid touching fentanyl. Skin absorption can be increased by using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, bleach, and excessive sweating.

Oxycodone continues to be prescribed at relatively high rates, compared to morphine, despite being no more effective than morphine and associated with the same adverse effects and cautions. Research suggests that oral oxycodone is also more likely to be misused than oral morphine.

Penalties for Possession of Fentanyl

You could face 180 days to 2 years in a state jail and a fine up to $10,000. 3rd Degree Felony: For having one to four grams, the punishment is 2-10 years behind bars and up to a $10,000 fine.

More than 5,000 children and teens have died from overdoses involving fentanyl in the past two decades, according to data published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. More than half of those deaths occurred in the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

How many people have died from fentanyl in Galveston? ›

In January 2023, Galveston County Daily News (GCDN) reported that in 2020 Galveston County had the second highest death rate by drug overdose in the state of Texas and fentanyl probably was a leading cause. In Galveston County, roughly 200 per 100,000 persons died.

However, compared to other communities of similar population size, Charleston has a crime rate that is noticeably lower than the average. This means that for comparably sized cities all across America, Charleston is actually safer than most according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis of FBI crime data.

Charleston's homeless problem, in fact, remains manageable compared to other cities. The last one-night statewide count, in 2022, found there were 324 homeless people across seven counties in the Lowcountry, by far the lowest count among the state's four regions.

From 2020 to 2021, the total number of drug overdose deaths in South Carolina increased by more than 430 individuals, from 1,734 deaths to 2,168: an increase of more than 25%.

It is famously known for being the place where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. The issue of slavery slowly split the nation in two. After Lincoln was elected president, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Fort Sumter National Monument is now a popular tourist destination.