SALISBURY — The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office has responded to 107 overdose calls, 17 of them with fatalities, since June 9, officials said Thursday.

That’s indicative of the seriousness of calls that emergency responders have dealt with this year, officials said.

The 107 overdose calls are from June 9 through Thursday. They do not include calls to Salisbury police, other local law enforcement agencies, emergency personnel or people who went to a hospital by personal vehicle or ambulance.

Rowan County investigators say some residences had multiple overdose calls and, in many cases, officers made a repeat visit to a house for the final time to find the overdose victim dead.

Heroin, pain pills and other forms of opiates were the leading cause of the overdoses and deaths.

According to one investigator, many instances included people who died with syringes still in their arms or near their bodies.

Chief Deputy David Ramsey said deputies have partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The task force has asked that the law enforcement agency track overdose calls.

The most recent case that Rowan authorities responded to was Wednesday night. Details about that case were not immediately available.

One of the focus areas of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force strategy is finding federal drug enforcement resources to reduce the flow of illicit drugs and drug money by identifying and targeting major trafficking organizations.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.