SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- The number of suspected overdose cases in Sussex County has now risen to over seventy.
This comes after state police and health officials warned of a sudden spike in overdoses that appear to be Narcan resistant, and cause people to need more hospital care than other overdose cases. All of these cases have happened since April 26.
According to state police, toxicology tests are pending to confirm two suspected overdose fatalities since that same date.
Police say the majority of the cases are coming from Millsboro, Milford and Georgetown.
State police have enlisted the enlisted the Delaware National Guard to conduct testing on the drug to see what kind of substance is causing these sudden overdoses. Officials have been sampling drugs found in the systems of overdose victims. According to state police, initial samples showed packages containing Xylazine, Bromazolam, Fentanyl, Caffeine and Quinine.
Officials are asking people to be vigilant, avoid using illegal drugs and to stay away from unknown substances.
Beebe Healthcare held a press conference Wednesday afternoon, where doctors called the spike a "disturbing trend."
The suddeen spike in overdose cases has sent shockwaves throughout the community.
At Higher Ground Outreach in Georgetown, founder Lou Hernandez says the non-profit has been handing out Narcan kits since last week- and is looking to get more. He also said they have been training people on how to use Narcan kits.
"We've made it our business to make sure that we're educating them again, even though they may know," he said to CoastTV. "We have just been reminding them that this is not your average stuff you've been doing and that the possibility of overdosing and not coming back from it is very real."
Over at Attack Addiction, board member Jill Fredel said the sudden uptick has been nothing but scary.
"We thought it was bad when fentanyl arrived on the scene because it's so much more potent than heroin," she said. "And now they have something that maybe possibly is more potent than either one of them.. It is a very scary proposition."
Fredel, who used to work for the Division of Health and Social Services, says Attack Addiction is always open to helping anyone in need. She continued to say that under Delaware's Good Samaritan law, people calling 911 in the event of an overdose and the person overdosing at the time will not be prosecuted or charged by law enforcement.
You can find Attack Addiction's website here or you can call at 302-365-5221.