Heroin deaths continue to climb, Ohio named ‘ground zero’

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 and brand new numbers show deaths continue to climb, despite constant efforts to cap the opioid epidemic.

There are so many prongs to the problem and the reach is so wide. While the state has committed to fighting overdoses and the opioid epidemic by adding money to the budget and adding programs, it’s still getting worse.

Deadly overdoses nationwide are at an all time high, reaching 52,404 in 2016. Ohio, considered the nationwide epicenter of the problem, held at least 4,149 of those deaths.

Ohio has been named ground zero for this drug problem that we’re hearing about every day. According to experts, we may still be underestimating these numbers. Coroners and medical examiners are having a hard time keeping up with the overdose deaths, school aged children are using heroin in Ohio and babies are being born addicts.

For more on the latest numbers, check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

Numbers for 2017 will not be finalized until December.