A report from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy closely examines statewide drug overdose fatalities from 2015, shedding light on the high human cost of the opioid epidemic in the state.
Statewide overdose deaths ticked upward from 1,071 in 2014 to 1,248 in 2016. Of these deaths, 420 — 34 percent of all overdose deaths — were associated with the prescription opioid fentanyl. The drug is often combined on the street with heroin, which can prove a deadly combination for unwitting addicts. Heroin was detected in 28 percent of cases. Morphine, however, was the most detected substance in toxicology reports, present in approximately 45 percent of all overdose cases.
According to the Harlan Daily Enterprise, Gov. Matt Bevin said, "As I read the latest report on overdose deaths in Kentucky, I am heartbroken for the Commonwealth. More than three families a day are shattered by this epidemic of untimely death. This is unacceptable and will be vigorously addressed with every resource at our disposal."
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