DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware public health officials are advising drug users to be aware that the heroin they're looking to obtain could be laced with fatal amounts of the synthetic painkiller fentanyl.
The warning was issued Tuesday in the wake of 12 recent overdoses in Camden, New Jersey, on Friday, four of which were fatal.
Officials note that Interstate 95 allows the flow of illicit drugs into Delaware from New Jersey and other neighboring states.
They are urging drug addicts to seek treatment, and to have the overdose-reversing medication naloxone with them if they continue to take drugs.
Officials say there have been 71 deaths from suspected overdoses this year, including six since last Friday.
Authorities say 345 people died from overdoses in Delaware last year, an increase of 12 percent from 2016.
