Nine people overdosed on opiates in Barre City over the course of about 50 hours last weekend, according to police. One person died.

There’s something different about the drugs available in recent days, said Barre City Police Chief Tim Bombardier, and police and ambulance crews handled an unprecedented nine overdoses during the weekend.

Eight people were revived using Narcan, or naloxone, an overdose-reversing medication many emergency responders now carry in Vermont. The ninth person was dead.

Bombardier did not release personal information, saying families had not been notified.

The nine overdoses were a sharp increase from normal. In July, Barre had four overdoses. Before the weekend, Barre had two in August, Bombardier said.

“The particular stuff that was around this weekend is really bad stuff,” he said, and police “have no idea where it’s coming from at the moment.” Packaging does not appear to be consistent, he said. Some came in clear bags, others in plain white or blue bags, or in white bags marked with a handgun and the words “training day.”

First responders needed to give multiple doses of naloxone to some people to revive them. One person who was revived needed eight doses of naloxone.

The overdoses prompted the Department of Health to warn street drug users Monday that a particularly deadly strain of heroin is in the area.

The department said the overdoses appear to be linked to bags of heroin marked “Game of Thrones.” They may be laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opiate 50 times more potent than heroin, the department said.

“If you continue to use street drugs, or know someone who does, we urge you to be aware of the current danger out there,” said Dr. Harry Chen, the state health commissioner. “We want to prevent deaths from overdose, and have alerted naloxone distribution sites and given some precautionary advice for those people who continue to use.”

Chen’s advise: Street drug users should not use alone; should avoid mixing the drug with other substances, including alcohol and benzodiazepines; should test the strength of the drug before using the entire dose; and should reduce the amount used at one time.

It’s believed police asked the Vermont Forensics Lab to analyze drug samples connected with the overdoses, and should get the findings in a few days. However, that process is a secret because its part of an investigation.

If an analysis shows a pattern of fentanyl-laced heroin, the Department of Health will be informed so it can issue public announcements.

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