N.J. Heroin, Fentanyl Deaths 'Skyrocketing,' New Data Shows

The problem just keeps getting worse — a lot worse. Deaths from heroin and fentanyl — which is often mixed with the drug to create a bigger high — have been "skyrocketing" over the past year and a half, authorities said.

Heroin deaths were on track to jump 17 percent in 2015 over the previous year, while fentanyl — the drug that killed rock star Prince — were on track to nearly double between 2014 and 2015, according to the state Medical Examiner's Office's most recent data (see lists below).

Indeed, the number of fentanyl deaths in New Jersey from the first half of 2015 exceeded 2014's entire total: 150 to 142.

And the trend continues to spiral upward. The state Medical Examiner's Office did not have complete numbers for 2015. But some New Jersey areas already have numbers for 2016, and they're not good.

In Ocean County, 118 people died from heroin in all of 2015. So far this year, 101 have died, and Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, said that number could jump to 106 by the end of the week depending on the outcome of several fatalities, the details of which he did not disclose.

Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns told NJ101.5 that his county has had 28 overdoses so far this year — nine of them fatal — while there were 40 overdoses for all of 2015 — 12 of which were fatal.

“So far this year, police deployed Narcan and saved 18 people, compared to 16 saves in all of 2015. Without police administering Narcan, that could have been 18 more deaths this year,” Kearns told the station.

Similarly, there have been 200 reversals using the heroin-antidote Narcan in Ocean County so far this year, compared to 272 in all of 2015.

"There's just no answer in sight," Della Fave said.

Della Fave says it's the additives — such as fentanyl — that are doing the most damage. He said the minute his office sees something "horrific," the prosecutor puts out a warning.

"The additives that they're putting in are just killing people," he said. "I'm reading that in some cases, people are using animal tranquilizers" with heroin.

The problem with additives became apparent in Gloucester County recently. Police in Gibbstown, Paulsboro and Franklin Township administered Narcan to revive three people who had used potentially lethal doses of heroin — probably mixed with additives — several weeks ago, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.

Those who overdosed used heroin in packaging stamped with the names "Red Snowman" and "Superstar," according to police.

Here are the lists of heroin and fentanyl deaths in each county in 2014 and the first half of 2015. The first number applies to heroin, the second is fentanyl:

2015 (Jan. 1 to June 30)

• ATLANTIC 25 9
• BERGEN 25 6
• BURLINGTON 20 19
• CAMDEN 51 23
• CAPE MAY 7 2
• CUMBERLAND 5 4
• ESSEX 39 9
• GLOUCESTER 13 7
• HUDSON 31 8
• HUNTERDON 3 0
• MERCER 24 6
• MIDDLESEX 26 12
• MONMOUTH 34 15
• MORRIS 15 4
• OCEAN 35 15
• PASS.AIC 15 3
• SALEM 4 0
• SOMERSET 14 4
• SUSSEX 5 1
• UNION 19 2
• WARREN 5 1
• TOTAL 415 150

All 2014

• ATLANTIC 48 9
• BERGEN 42 8
• BURLINGTON 25 13
• CAMDEN 91 12
• CAPE MAY 14 4
• CUMBERLAND 18 1
• ESSEX 54 13
• GLOUCESTER 40 3
• HUDSON 32 6
• HUNTERDON 3 0
• MERCER 22 2
• MIDDLESEX 72 12
• MONMOUTH 58 14
• MORRIS 23 7
• OCEAN 68 19
• PASSAIC 43 8
• SALEM 3 0
• SOMERSET 15 4
• SUSSEX 8 1
• UNION 22 6
• WARREN 5 0
• TOTAL 706 142