FALL RIVER -- There has been a spike in overdoses in the city recently, due to a potent batch of fentanyl-laced heroin circulating in Fall River, a city addiction outreach worker said Tuesday.

A man in his 30s died Tuesday morning after an opiate-related overdose, according to Niki Fontaine, coordinator of the Fall River Opioid Task Force. She said 26 people overdosed on opioids in Fall River over the last nine days.

Fontaine said many of those who overdosed told first responders they did so after consuming their “normal” amount of heroin.

While some said they knew the narcotics they were purchasing contained fentanyl, others reported being unaware they were consuming the highly potent synthetic opioid.

“The more that the cops crack down, the addicts find another person to buy from, and that might be more potent than what they’re used to,” said Fontaine, who is also in long-term recovery.

Overdoses tend to spike after a police make a big drug bust, as addicts begin using narcotics purchased from a different source, said Fall River EMS Deputy Director Beth Faunce.

“The stuff on the street may be a little bit more potent than they’re used to,” Faunce said.

Fontaine said addiction coaches and officers with the city’s Project Reconnect outreach team increased working hours this week in response to the spike in overdoses.

The outreach workers will visit the homes of those who overdose, drop off Narcan and offer help getting into addiction treatment programs.

To reduce the risk of an overdose, especially a fatal one, Fontaine urged people not to use heroin alone, and to make sure at least one other person knows when they’re using.

She said addicts and their families should have the overdose reversal drug Narcan on hand. Narcan is available for free without a prescription at Seven Hills Behavioral Health, 310 South Main St.

Narcan is also available at no cost at SSTAR's addiction treatment center, located at 386 Stanley St.