U.S. overdose deaths doubled from 1999; Ohio in Top 5

The rate of fatal overdose deaths in the United States has more than doubled since 1999, rising from 6.1 deaths per 100,000 people to 16.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2015, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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That was faster than the rate of suicides and car accidents in 2015, underscoring the tragic consequences of a growing nationwide heroin epidemic, which accounted for 25 percent of the overdose deaths in 2015 — triple the share from 1999, according to the report.

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Ohio — with a overdose death rate of 29.9 per 100,000 — was among the five states with the highest rates of death due to drug overdoses in 2015, according to the CDC, including: West Virginia (41.5 per 100,000), New Hampshire (34.3 per 100,000), Kentucky (29.9 per 100,000), and Rhode Island (28.2 per 100,000).

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Locally, Montgomery County health officials say overdose deaths are now the No. 1 public health threat, burdening rehab and addiction services.

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“This epidemic has taken us all by storm, all across this country,” said Helen Jones-Kelley, executive director of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services board of Montgomery County. “We have never seen an addiction crisis like this, at least not in my career.”

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