Sheriff: 3 Men Overdose On Counterfeit Opioid Pills In Mankato Apt., 1 Dies
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Officials in Blue Earth County say three men overdosed on counterfeit opioid pills in a Mankato apartment. One of those men did not survive.
According to the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office, first responders were dispatched Thursday at 2:21 a.m. to a drug overdose incident in an apartment on Monks Avenue.
Three overdose victims were found inside. Life-saving measures were performed, but one man died at the scene. Both surviving victims were taken to the hospital; one was admitted to ICU while the other was treated and released. All victims were men in their 20s.
The deceased victim has been identified as a 23-year-old Mankato man.
Authorities determined that counterfeit oxycodone pills appear to be responsible for the overdoses and death.
"Counterfeit opioid pills are commonly found to contain dangerous amounts of fentanyl and have been responsible for numerous overdose deaths and injuries throughout the state and country," Commander Jeff Wersal of the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force said in a news release.
Wersal says that this is a reminder to the public not to ingest any "prescription" medication that was not dispensed by a pharmacy.
"Counterfeit pills are purposely made to look like actual prescription medication, thus increasing their value," Wersal said.
The condition of the victim in the ICU is unknown at this time.
The investigation is ongoing.