On Wednesday, the Oxford Police Department released how many overdoses they have responded to in 2020 and how many of those calls have turned fatal.

The information was released due to OPD becoming aware of a social media post on Sept. 14 that referenced narcotics in Oxford.

In 2020, OPD has responded to 11 narcotic overdoses. Of those 11, two were fatal. When there is an overdose call reported, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and and the Drug Enforcement Agency work with OPD to investigate and trace where the narcotics may have come from.

Through the investigation, OPD has learned that people are accessing drugs through what they refer to as the darknet and receiving narcotics through the mail.

“Our agents have also traced these drugs back to our surrounding states through their investigations,” said OPD cheif Jeff McCutchen in a statement. “When drugs are accessed through these means, we know two things happen. The user does not know what they are getting or where it is coming from and it diminishes law enforcement’s ability to track and locate the source.”

In recent field tests, OPD agents have found that street-level drugs had traces of Fentanyl in them. Drugs are being cut and processed with Fentanyl so the dealer can produce more of the drug, according to OPD.

“The human body can only withstand a small microgram dose of Fentanyl,” McCutchen said. “Cross-contamination of any drug laced with Fentanyl can be deadly and that is not a risk worth taking.”

The Mississippi Good Samaritan Law protects someone from prosecution when they call 911 for themselves or someone else when medical attention is required. OPD asks the community to contact them if someone has any information about narcotics use or distribution in Lafayette County. The Metro Narcotics Unit can be contacted at 662-236-3900.