
Statistics from the United States Center for Disease Control show opioids, whether prescription or illicit, as the biggest cause of drug overdose deaths in the country. The number of opioid overdoses quadrupled between 1999 and 2015, with 33,091 deaths in 2015. In North Carolina alone, overdoses increased by 14.5 percent from 2014 to 2015. Unfortunately, overdose rates are even higher in the mountains, but a reversal kit being distributed may help save a few lives.
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By Lorrie Ross / Staff writer / lross@claycountyprogress.com
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