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Heroin Deaths Continue in Southeastern Connecticut

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Two more fatal overdoses in southeastern Connecticut have once again highlighted the struggle that police and emergency services face in combating the heroin epidemic.

A man was found unresponsive in his car in Groton Tuesday night, and was later pronounced dead at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. Less than 12 hours later a Noank woman was found dead in her home of an overdose.

These latest fatalities followed the death of an 18-year-old in Norwich last weekend. That case lead to the arrest of two men suspected of dealing heroin in the city. The common link is the presence of the potent and dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is believed to be putting many addicts at risk.

At a recent forum in Groton, Sargeant Nick Parham said the fentanyl-laced heroin is not just a case of bad batch, but something that’s actually in demand.

"The users are seeking it out," he said. "That’s what gets them closest to that first high that they experienced. I think that’s it’s something that as long as we are in existence, we are going to be seizing. As long as people are directly seeking it out, someone’s going to have it available to buy."

The recent deaths represent just a small fraction of the overdose cases that continue across the region daily, as most victims can now by revived by first responders using the overdose reversal drug Narcan.

Harriet Jones is Managing Editor for Connecticut Public Radio, overseeing the coverage of daily stories from our busy newsroom.

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