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Overdose death rate in St. Lawrence County doubles

Posted 7/10/16

By JIMMY LAWTON At least 31 people died from opiate or heroin overdoses in St. Lawrence County between 2010 and 2014 and the number appears to be rising. Records obtained from the state Department of …

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Overdose death rate in St. Lawrence County doubles

Posted

By JIMMY LAWTON

At least 31 people died from opiate or heroin overdoses in St. Lawrence County between 2010 and 2014 and the number appears to be rising.

Records obtained from the state Department of Health through a Freedom of Information Request show that the annual number of opioid-overdose deaths doubled from five in 2010 to 10 in 2014.

Numbers for overdose deaths in 2015 and 2016 were not available, but St. Lawrence County Department of Health officials confirmed in February that a minimum of nine people had died form opiate or heroin overdoses in 2015. In February of 2016, at least three people had already died from the same cause.

While actual figures are likely higher, the numbers provided by the DOH are those that have been confirmed to have died from an opioid overdose. In some cases, toxicology reports and autopsies are not performed.

Poor tracking of such deaths makes compiling figures difficult and dilutes the public’s perspective of the scale of the opioid problem both in St. Lawrence County and statewide.

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell has called for stronger reporting. A recent package of bills aimed at addressing the state’s heroin and opiate problem included legislation that would require quarterly reports of opioid related deaths.