Twenty-one overdose deaths have been reported in Sussex County between January and August of 2016, New Jersey Herald reported.
SUSSEX COUNTY -- Accidental drug overdose deaths rose by more than 30 percent in Sussex County this year compared to the same time period last year, according to data obtained and reviewed by the New Jersey Herald.
The newspaper reported that Sussex County had 21 accidental overdose deaths from January through August. There were 13 overdose deaths in the county over the first eight months of 2015.
Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller told the newspaper the increase in fatal overdoses was believed to be attributable to fentanyl, an opioid about 100 times more potent than morphine that is often cut into heroin.
Ten deaths in Sussex County have been attributed to the mixture of fentanyl and heroin. The first death attributed to the heroin-fentanyl combination occurred in August 2015, the newspaper reported. The other nine deaths took place in 2016.
Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.