The state Department of Public Health this week issued a public health advisory regarding a spike in suspected drug overdoses in New London County, some of them fatal.

There were six fatal and 26 nonfatal overdoses between Saturday and Sunday in New London County, Uncas Health District Director of Health Patrick McCormack said at Wednesday's Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments meeting.

Four of the fatal overdoses occurred in Norwich, he said. New London reported seven overdoses with one apparent fatality, New London police said.

McCormack and other health officials said the spike is an indication of some sort of contamination in the drug supply. 

“The good news is that in those 26, most of them, if not all of them, have been using naloxone, or Narcan, so the penetration of Narcan into our community has been strong and in particular through the health districts and some of the human service agencies," he said. "So, for those of you that know that there are folks that would like to have Narcan, there’s an interest in having some support, please send them our way.”

Narcan, typically a nasal spray, is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

McCormack said prevention councils and various organizations, including hospitals and emergency medical services, are collaborating in response to the spike.

“There’s a lot of work being done behind the scenes in trying to address this but it’s certainly a concern and one that we will have to work through,” he said.

Carol Jones, director of medical case management for Alliance for Living and project manager for NL Cares, both service agencies that assist people struggling with substance abuse disorders, said her team is aware of the issue and “responding in the community with education, outreach and access to naloxone and fentanyl test strips.”

“We must assume that the cause is the continued presence of many adulterants being used in the manufacturing of illicit drugs,” Jones said.

Fentanyl, a powerful opioid, is sometimes used to adulterate drugs like heroin and cocaine and frequently is blamed in overdose deaths. 

The New London Police Department, which accompanies the city's fire department to all overdose calls, reported seven overdoses since Friday. Fire Chief Thomas Curcio said all members of the department, whether in a firetruck or ambulance, carry Narcan.  

Curcio said the news of a heath alert has raised some awareness but New London already has a strong response system in place that is able to react to spikes in overdoses.

The department reports overdoses to the city’s Human Services Department, which in turn works with local agencies, such as Ledge Light Health District, to start the exchange of information about where the overdoses are occurring. Follow-up care in some form, including through the city’s recovery navigator program, is provided immediately.

In Waterford, interim police Chief Marc Balestracci said his department has not observed an increase in calls related to overdoses in the past week or so.

"We are aware of the public health advisory and each Waterford patrol officer is trained and equipped with naloxone (Narcan) in the event we are dispatched to a potential narcotic overdose call," he said.

Day Staff Writers Taylor Hartz, Kimberly Drelich and Greg Smith contributed to this report.