Drug overdoses in Lafayette County are rising higher than numbers seen last year, according to a statement from the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit. As of Jan. 13, four overdoses have occurred, and three of them have resulted in death.

“The trends seen over the last couple of months are prescription pills (Percocet, hydrocodone, Xanax and oxycodone) being pressed with fentanyl, along with fentanyl in meth, ecstasy, and heroin,” Alex Fauver, commander of the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit, said in a statement.

In September, the narcotics unit released a similar statement because of rising doses in the Lafayette County area. Many of the overdoses at that time were attributed to “dirty dope” being bought on the dark web or in other states. One of the overdoses in 2020 resulted in the death of a student.

“It’s not coming from a factory or a pharmaceutical factory, so there’s no telling what’s in it,” Fauver told The Daily Mississippian last year. “You’re seeing a lot of synthetic stuff, and like I said, just about all of our ecstasy has been coming back from the crime lab as methamphetamine.”

University of Mississippi students struggling with substance abuse are encouraged to contact the William Magee Center by calling 662-915-6543 or email at wellnessedu@olemiss.edu.