Although local law enforcement said met amphetamine is still the drug of choice for many in north Alabama, opioid and heroin usage are up. As a result, fatal overdose numbers have increased. Opioids, which include prescription drugs such as oxycodone, fentanyl and morphine, accounted for 44 percent of overdose deaths in Alabama in 2016, a 13 percent increase since 2011, according to the state Center for Health Statistics. Most of these drugs are acquired through legal prescriptions, said acting State Health Officer Scott Harris. “You go see a physician, you get a prescription, you get it refilled, and you have this addiction problem. Some of it is not legal, but a lot of it is,” Harris said. Opioids are prescribed more widely in Alabama than in any other state, according to a July 31 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For every 100 people in Alabama, there were 121 prescriptions for opioid painkillers written in 2016, according to CDC statistics.
D e m i s e on the Rise Opioid usage up, and so are fatal overdoses
30
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker