Sheriff's deputies say the number of drug related deaths are increasing county-wide.
Officials say each month deputies respond to about nine drug related deaths.
Of those, at least five are overdoses.
The most recent was just a couple weeks ago with autopsies pending on at least one other case.
That means, nearly 110 people die every year as a result of drug use.
And, deputies say the drug of choice is prescription pills like OxyContin and Xanex.
But they say the users are not increasing the number of pills they're taking, but rather combining a number of different pills -- resulting in what they call a lethal drug cocktail.
Officials with a drug outreach program in the county say often the reason for drug use in McDowell goes back to living on a low income and unemployment.
They say people turn to drugs as an outlet for other stresses in their lives
Officials say each month deputies respond to about nine drug related deaths.
Of those, at least five are overdoses.
The most recent was just a couple weeks ago with autopsies pending on at least one other case.
That means, nearly 110 people die every year as a result of drug use.
And, deputies say the drug of choice is prescription pills like OxyContin and Xanex.
But they say the users are not increasing the number of pills they're taking, but rather combining a number of different pills -- resulting in what they call a lethal drug cocktail.
Officials with a drug outreach program in the county say often the reason for drug use in McDowell goes back to living on a low income and unemployment.
They say people turn to drugs as an outlet for other stresses in their lives
- added September 19, 2008
- flag
Login/Registration is required to add a response
