Six people died from opioid overdoses in Orange County last week, health officials say.

District Attorney David Hoovler says none of the suspected overdoses appear to be related.

Darcie Miller, the county's head of social services and mental health, says opioid addiction is an epidemic that can touch anyone. There were 84 opioid-related deaths in the county last year.

Miller says her department is working with community health providers to make sure that when someone comes in looking for help, they are assessed right away and begin treatment immediately.

"They are not able to focus and concentrate if their dopamine levels are off-balance," she says. "The brain is saying, I need more dopamine. It sends them back out to get the drug."

Hoovler says the county has a three-pronged approach to fighting the problem: education, treatment and enforcement.

"If they know that people are selling drugs on the street, or suspect that people are selling drugs, then let us know," he says. "Because eradicating the supply still has to be done."

The county has a 24-hour helpline for addicts seeking help: 1-800-832-1200.

"There is a way to recover," Miller says. "There is hope."