A story reported on MLive.co
m this week suggested that use of opioids is much more prevalent in West Michigan than previously believed.
And the report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services indicates Allegan County had 44 deaths linked to opioid use in the six years between the years 2010 and 2015.
Interestingly, there was a huge spike in such deaths in 2014, with 18 reported. The highest number in any other years was seven in both 2013 and 2015.
Julie Mack in Kalamazoo wrote that “Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and prescription pain relievers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and codeine.
Mack also said there were more than 11 million prescriptions issued in Michigan last year, at a rate of better than one for each resident in the state.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also reported that deaths from opioids surpassed the number of traffic crash fatalities and gun-related deaths.
