Police in southern New Hampshire are reporting an increase in overdose deaths since Christmas Eve.
The Salem Police Department says it has responded to five overdoses since Dec. 24, a higher number than normal. Two of the overdoses were fatal. The victims, found in two separate incidents, were a 24-year-old female and a 31-year-old male. The police have not released their names.
The police say they are unsure of the exact cause of the spike in overdoses, but think it may be from a "tainted" batch of heroin or fentanyl, a drug that is far more powerful and deadly than heroin.
New Hampshire is in the midst of a drug addiction crisis, with overdose deaths nearing 500 as 2016 comes to a close.
