Hartford — As Hartford deals with a major spike in fatal drug overdoses and the possible emergence of fentanyl-laced crack cocaine, officials in eastern Connecticut are keeping a watchful eye.

Forty-five people have died by overdose in the capital city so far this year, compared to 22 this time last year. Seven of those deaths came within a two-day span last week.

At a roundtable discussion U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., convened Monday at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, officials said they believe fentanyl-laced crack caused some of the recent overdoses.

Mark Jenkins, executive director of the Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition, said the idea of crack, a stimulant, being tainted with the powerful opioid fentanyl is “unnerving.” Many who use crack have little or no tolerance for narcotics, he said.

“Things continue to change and we’re not keeping pace with that change,” Jenkins said.

In an email sent Monday afternoon, Norwich Human Services Director Lee-Ann Gomes said Norwich hasn’t seen a spike in overdoses and had zero fatalities in May.

She said officials don’t believe fentanyl-laced cocaine or crack cocaine has made it into the city, “but we are warning people” about the possibility.

New London also hasn’t seen an increase beyond what’s normal for warmer months, said Jeanne Milstein, director of human services.

Milstein said New London had eight nonfatal heroin overdoses last May compared to 10 this May. Last June brought 13 nonfatal overdoses, while the first 10 days of this June brought four.

Milstein said she doesn’t know how many of those overdoses involved fentanyl because police only test drugs that lead to death or arrest. But she cited efforts spearheaded by various city leaders — a syringe exchange program, recovery navigators who help people seek treatment, the distribution of the overdose-reversal drug naloxone — as reasons New London’s overdose rate has steadied.

“I truly believe that it’s making a difference,” she said.

Fentanyl, which was detected in 75 percent of Connecticut’s fatal overdoses last year, often is combined with another drug.

Of the 760 fentanyl-related deaths in 2018, for example, 270 also involved cocaine, 119 also involved a prescription opioid and 303 also involved heroin.

“It’s not a new concept that drugs can be laced,” said Angela Duhaime, associate director of the Southeastern Regional Action Council, a prevention-focused agency. “We are really trying to work with people about the dangers of drug use, period.”

But Duhaime, who said eastern Connecticut has “pockets of stimulant use,” said education alone isn’t enough. Her agency, which covers 39 towns, also addresses the trauma and mental health issues that can lead people to use drugs in the first place.

In Hartford, the conversation touched on everything from the availability of treatment and the high cost of naloxone to the way police respond to overdoses.

Police said residents shouldn't shy away from calling 911 about an overdose because they’ve been using drugs, too. State law prevents police from arresting people for seeking help.

Police also asked residents not to clean the scene before they arrive. They said the disposal of evidence has hindered their ability to track the crack involved in recent fatalities.

“If we can get batches of drugs off the street or warn people what to look for, that's another way we can help,” Hartford's interim police chief, Jason Thody, said.

l.boyle@theday.com