The Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office released a 2017 annual report that showed a 6.2 percent increase from 2016 in drug-related deaths.
There were 110 heroin-related deaths reported in 2017 compared to the 124 heroin-related deaths in 2016, but according to the report, the total number of fentanyl-related deaths significantly increased from 144 in 2016 to 199 in 2017, a 38 percent jump.
“We continue to see a rise in the number of overdose deaths involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Daniel Spitz. “Overdose deaths involving poly-drug combinations of opioids with other substances such as cocaine are also expanding across the United States and in the county.”
Communities across the state of Michigan and country are seeing similar, and in some instances, higher numbers of opioid-related deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that opioid overdose deaths were five times higher in 2016 than 1999.
