Alert For Deadly Heroin That's Caused At Least 12 ODs, 3 Deaths In New Jersey

An alert has been issued for a deadly batch of heroin that's caused at least 12 overdoses and three deaths, according to authorities.

Authorities did not name the batch, but it's had a harmful impact on at least one area of the state - and it could be found in others.

Sussex County Prosecutor Francis A. Koch said this "even deadlier" batch of heroin is possibly laced with other drugs, and has entered Sussex County.

Read more: 30 N.J. Towns With The Most Heroin Abuse, New Data Says

"As the public is well aware, we are facing a heroin and opioid epidemic across our county and state," Koch said in a statement. "This epidemic poses extreme dangers up to and including death to our community members."

He said that, in the last week, the county has seen "a marked increase in the number of NARCAN deployments by local law enforcement officers across the entire county."

"In Sussex County, we have had 12 NARCAN deployments in less than one week," he said. "To put that in perspective, in the past year, Sussex County has averaged 3 to 4 deployments a month, an approximate 1,200 percent increase. To add to this tragedy, 3 of those overdoses resulted in death."

Other authorities in the state said they continue to see an upward trend in the number of ODs and deaths connected to heroin, and they largely blame fentanyl for that.

Fentanyl, the drug responsible for the death of music star Prince, is often laced with heroin to give users an even bigger high - at a potentially deadlier price.

Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, said heroin ODs and deaths have been spiking for more than a year in his region.

In 2016, Ocean County had 209 heroin-related deaths - nearly doubling 2015's total of 120. There were also 502 Narcan reversals.

So far this year, there have been 42 deaths and 109 reversals.

"All heroin is deadly," he said.

Koch said the Sussex County law enforcement community along with the CLEAR initiative is "determined
to help individuals on their road to recovery and end this epidemic.

"Today, it is more important than ever for individuals to reach out for help and stop the use of heroin," he said.

The Community Law Enforcement Addiction Recover “CLEAR” program can be reached at 1-844-SC-CLEAR (72-25327)

Patch file photo