At least five men and five women have died of drug overdoses in New Hampshire so far in 2016, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The actual number of drug deaths this year could be higher, as an additional 86 possible overdose cases are still awaiting toxicology. It can take several months for the state to fully review a suspected overdose to confirm the cause of death.
Of the 10 deaths that have been confirmed, six were caused by fentanyl either alone or combined with other drugs. The rest were caused by other opioids or cocaine, according to the medical examiner's office.
Last year set a record for drug overdoses in New Hampshire, at least 428 cases in all. There are still a few cases from 2015 waiting to be processed by the state.
According to data from the medical examiner’s office, nearly two-thirds of last year’s overdose deaths involved fentanyl.
