New research suggests drug overdoses as a whole leveled off in Kentucky between 2011 and 2012, but heroin-related overdoses increased.
In 2012 there were "6,496 overdose emergency department (ED) visits and 1,031 overdose deaths," a University of Kentucky news release reported. This was an improvement to the respective 6,492 and 1,022 cases seen in 2011.
In 2012 there were 129 heroin overdose deaths; this is a 207 percent increase from the 42 deaths recorded in 2011. There was also a 174 percent increase in inpatient hospitalizations and 197 percent increase in heroin-related ED visits.
This increase is not contained in Kentucky, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported an 80 percent increase in heroin users between the years of 2007 and 2011. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 55 percent increase in heroin-related overdose deaths between 2000 and 2011.
"A multipronged strategy to reduce drug overdoses in the Commonwealth of Kentucky involves the basic elements of the public health model that includes the comprehensive surveillance and tracking of drug overdoses, identification of risk factors that result in drug overdoses, development of interventions to prevent drug overdoses, and the widespread adoption of drug overdose prevention interventions," Terry Bunn, PhD, director of the Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center, said in the news release.
Stricter regulations on prescription drugs (such as monitoring programs) have made heroin a cheaper and easier to obtain alternative.
The increase in Kentucky heroin users has proven to be a financial burden on the state; statistics suggest the total charges for drug overdoses that led to hospitalization rose by seven percent and is now at $129.3 million.
"It's great that we at KIPRC can provide info on three major datasets, but more are needed to obtain an even broader picture and clearer understanding of drug overdoses and abuse in Kentucky," Bunn said.
