5 possible overdose victims rushed to hospital in Granada Hills

Five people were rushed to a hospital from an apartment building in Granada Hills Saturday for possible drug overdoses, authorities said.

Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 8:01 a.m. to 16950 W. Blackhawk St., said Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The patients were a 26-year-old woman, two 30-year-old women, a 30-year-old man, and a 40-year-old man, Prange said.

First responding medical personnel stabilized the victims before eventually transferring them to a nearby hospital. 

"We had a total of five patients," LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said. "One of them was in full arrest so obviously also not breathing and we had two other individuals unconscious and the other two were disoriented. We found evidence of some type of extra curricular drug use. Not sure what it is and that's why the LAPD is on scene."

Nationwide, overdose cases have been climbing as well as locally. In Los Angeles County, the most recent overdose incidents have been among teens who overdosed on fentanyl.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nearly 900 young people died from fentanyl last year, up from just over 250 in 2019. 

"Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. It takes a tiny amount of fentanyl to make you stop breathing and that's where it becomes dangerous," Dr. Angelique Campen told CBSLA Reporter Kandiss Crone on Saturday. 

She said that more people, schools and businesses should carry the overdose remedy drug, Narcan, just in case. 

"Anyone can get it, you can get it without a prescription," Dr. Campen said. "But you cannot hurt anyone by administering it in the wrong scenario."