Ramsey County, Minnesota Sheriff's Press Releases Update

Ramsey County, Minnesota sent this bulletin at 04/12/2013 11:16 PM CDT

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Contact: Randy Gustafson, Public Information Officer
Phone: (651) 266-9421 | randy.gustafson@co.ramsey.mn.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 12, 2013 

Tainted Meth Sends Twelve People to Emergency Room in Past 24 Hours

Saint Paul, MN: The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that an extraordinary number of drug overdose cases have been treated at Regions Hospital in Saint Paul in the past twenty-four (24) hours.  As of 9:30 pm Friday, April 12, 2013, twelve (12) people with life threatening conditions attributed to methamphetamine use have been treated. This is over a ten-fold increase in the average daily number of drug overdose emergencies treated by Regions.

Investigators with the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team (VCET) and the Saint Paul Police Department have interviewed overdose survivors, and in consultation with medical professionals have determined that this unusual spike in overdose cases could be caused by tainted street drugs. 

Symptoms experienced by patients seen at Regions have included hallucinations, extreme agitations, excited delirium, hyper temperatures and accelerated heartbeat, which are unusual for meth use. Meth is dangerous at any time, but this particular meth that is being sold and distributed in recent days appears to be a much more dangerous version.

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office has issued an alert for local law enforcement to be aware of this problem. The Sheriff's Office is also advising the community to be aware of this problem.  If anyone knows of someone experiencing these dangerous symptoms, please call 9-1-1 to seek medical assistance.

The current overdose emergency patients seen at Regions have come from throughout the east metro area, including Saint Paul, Roseville, Maplewood, and Cottage Grove. Descriptions of the tainted meth have not been consistent enough to issue a specific product warning and suppliers have not been identified. Toxicology test and lab results will require more time to fully determine why these unusual reactions are happening. Ramsey County VCET is continuing to investigate this tainted meth supply and distributors.

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PIO Phone availability (Randy) via cell until 11:40 pm, 4-12-13, and from 8:00-10:00 am Saturday. Spokespeople from Regions Hospital will not be available until Monday, April 15, 2013.