Denver, Colorado – The city of Denver has seen a recent spike in outdoor deaths, with officials suspecting that the cause may be linked to drug overdoses rather than the cold weather. Over the past week, there have been five incidents involving deaths that are not classified as homicides, prompting concerns about a potential connection to drug use.
The Office of the Medical Examiner has not yet released the cause of the deaths, but the Denver Department of Health and Environment has indicated that the first four deaths are likely due to drug overdoses. While preliminary testing has suggested drug overdose as the cause of death for these individuals, the investigation into the fifth death, which occurred on Tuesday, is ongoing.
According to Tammy Vigil, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, there have been 459 drug overdose deaths in Denver so far this year, with a month still remaining. These numbers, however, may experience a lag of several weeks before being officially recorded.
The term “outdoor death” does not necessarily imply that the individual was homeless, but rather that the body was found outside or in a vehicle. The locations of the recent deaths varied, occurring in different parts of the city, with investigations still ongoing to determine if there is any connection between the cases.
Despite the cold temperatures over the weekend, city officials have stated that there are no definitive signs of hypothermia in the cases, leading them to believe that the deaths were unlikely due to the weather. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest a change in the drug supply that would have caused the recent spike in overdoses.
As the investigations continue, Denver officials are working to determine the factors contributing to the recent surge in outdoor deaths and to explore potential solutions to address the issue.
In 2022, the city recorded 453 overdose deaths. The recent events have raised concerns about the ongoing drug crisis in the city, prompting a need for further investigation and intervention to prevent future deaths.