THREE FOUND UNCONSCIOUS IN LATEST INCIDENT WITH DRUG K2

Austin Travis-County EMS officials are continuing to watch for adverse reactions to K2 after three people were found unconscious from the drug downtown in a span of 10 minutes Sunday.

It is the latest in a string of incidents this past week related to the synthetic drug that mimics marijuana but is often doused with dangerous chemicals. According to EMS Capt. Darren Noak, between Wednesday and Saturday night, medics responded to 74 separate K2 incidents involving 81 patients. Many reported seizures or loss of consciousness.

On Sunday, around 11 a.m., three people were found lying unconscious on the sidewalk at Seventh and Neches streets, near the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless.

One man, believed to be in his 30s, was taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge. Two others refused treatment — something not uncommon, Cmdr. Greg Weller said, since the effects of the drug usually only last about 15 minutes.

EMS officials had decided to stop reporting daily totals for K2 emergency calls Saturday night, thinking cases were on the decline. But Noak said continued calls Saturday night into Sunday have forced them to reconsider. He did not have new totals to report but did say many calls were now coming in from the area around Montopolis and Riverside drives, rather than downtown.

Previously, the uptick had been concentrated between Fifth and 10th streets and Interstate 35 and Congress Avenue.

Earlier in the week, officials had to shut down the intersection of Seventh and Red River streets to set up a command post to handle the influx of people with adverse reactions to the drug.

Last year, in response to a similar rash of K2 overdoses, EMS officials designed a “hot spot” map showing areas most affected. Noak said now they are considering updating the map.

“We are seeing it all over, all socioeconomic groups, all age groups,” Noak said. “It never goes away completely. We could just chase our tails with this all the time.”

Austin police issued several felony warrants this month for K2 distribution. Officer Demetri Hobbes said two of those people were arrested Sunday morning. He would not release their names until Monday.

“K2 is a different animal. It’s a man-made substance, and it changes,” Hobbes said. “We are trying to protect the public as much as we can.”