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N.H. Medical Examiner: 420 Drug Deaths in 2015, 3 Confirmed So Far This Year

At least three people have died from drug overdoses so far this year in New Hampshire, but the state medical examiner's office is awaiting toxicology results on another 60 cases that have come into its lab this year.

According to the most recent data, at least 420 people died from drug overdoses in 2015 — that figure is more than double what it was two years ago.

Nearly two-thirds of last year’s drug deaths involved fentanyl, either on its own or combined with other drugs like heroin.

The kind of fentanyl that's often found in drug samples on the street can be especially powerful — but it's easily masked when mixed in with other substances, making it nearly impossible for someone to tell when they're taking it.

Casey McDermott is a senior news editor at New Hampshire Public Radio. Throughout her time as an NHPR reporter and editor, she has worked with colleagues across the newsroom to deepen the station’s accountability coverage, data journalism and audience engagement across platforms.

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