Police spinning their wheels

A migration of recovering addicts coming to Palm Beach County’s sober homes and a cheap, potent supply of off-brand heroin have contributed to an increased number of overdose deaths in Palm Beach County this year, officials say.

More than 375 people overdosed and died from opiates such as heroin between January and September of this year, the latest numbers available, said Dr. Michael Bell, chief medical examiner for Palm Beach County.

This year’s opiate deaths have already surpassed last year’s total drug overdose deaths, records show.

“Oh my God, it’s a huge increase,” Bell said Friday. “I mean today we had three drug overdoses.”

The three cities that saw the highest number of deaths last year are again on track to break records, according to a Sun Sentinel analysis of 2015 medical examiner records and law enforcement statistics for suspected overdose deaths from November.

75 people have died from suspected drug overdoses in Lake Worth, a 56 percent increase from last year.

70 have died in West Palm, only six deaths shy of last year’s total.

and 63 in Delray Beach, already three more deaths than last year.

The findings come as a county task force has begun arresting unscrupulous sober home owners accused of trading patient referrals for thousands of dollars in bonuses.

Officials in the worst-affected cities say they want to help recovering addicts and support sober homes that provide a safe, healthy environment.

“How loud do we have to scream before people take notice?” said Pam Triolo, Lake Worth’s mayor. “We have to stand together and do what we can, but we need to send a message to Washington and everywhere else. They need to know this is an epidemic that is not going away and needs to be addressed now, not down the road.” him and find a relationship with God so he could turn his life around. It’s not an exact science.” PN