METHUEN -- Mayor
Stephen Zanni and Chief Joseph E. Solomon report that the Methuen Police
Department is investigating an incident in which a 10-month-old baby was
exposed to fentanyl.
At approximately 12:28 p.m. on
Saturday, Dec. 31, Methuen Police were dispatched to a residence on Treetop Way
for a report of a 10-month-old child not breathing.
Upon arrival, first responders
immediately began treating the baby before transporting her to Lawrence General
Hospital where she stopped breathing twice and had to be revived by hospital
staff. The child was later flown to Tufts Medical Center via MedFlight for
further treatment.
Hospital tests indicate that the
baby had fentanyl in her system.
"The opioid epidemic knows no
boundaries," Mayor Zanni said. "We must continue to be vigilant in
ensuring that children do not have access to harmful substances and to do
everything we can to fight the disease of addiction."
At this time, the baby remains in
stable condition. The Department of Children and Families has been notified of
the situation.
“This is an extremely unfortunate
situation in which a dangerous drug has ended up in the wrong hands and placed
a baby’s life in danger,” Chief Solomon said. “Our main goal now is to find out
how this substance ended up in the child’s system.”
This incident remains under
investigation by the Methuen Police Department and Massachusetts State Police
Detectives.
Methuen Police will be holding a
press conference at 12 p.m. today at the police station, 90 Hampshire St.,
Methuen.