By Associated Press - Saturday, August 29, 2015

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Responses to spice-related emergencies are costing Anchorage taxpayers money.

KTUU-TV reports (https://bit.ly/1i8EruH ) that Anchorage Fire Department Assistant Chief Erich Scheunemann says the operational cost of responding to such calls is about $150,000, plus a cost billed to patients.

Because many spice user patients don’t have insurance, Schuenemann says the cost ends up being shouldered by the taxpayers.



He says it’s “just the cost of doing business.”

The AFD says patients could be billed for the following in a spice-related emergency:

-$700 for basic life support transport

-$850 for advanced life support transport

-$218 per vial for cardiac medication

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-$25 for starting an IV line and administering fluids

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Information from: KTUU-TV, https://www.ktuu.com

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