An 18-month-old toddler in Bellingham was transported to a hospital for an overdose after chewing on a straw used to smoke fentanyl, according to Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy.
Medics were called to a house on Feb. 18 in the 2400 block of McKenzie Avenue, where they administered Narcan to the toddler, Murphy told The Bellingham Herald.
Narcan is used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. It can help to quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose.
The toddler responded to the Narcan and was then transported to the emergency room for further treatment, where they were diagnosed as suffering from a fentanyl overdose, according to Murphy.
Murphy told The Herald the toddler had obtained the straw from 38-year-old Nicholas Stephen Austin, who allegedly smoked fentanyl with it the night before. The child pulled the straw from Austin's pocket without him noticing while he was sitting on a couch in the residence, according to Murphy.
Austin was arrested for third-degree assault of a child. He has since been bonded out of custody from Whatcom County Jail, court records show.
