KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo County has not escaped the Opioid epidemic.
Health and Human Services says the number of overdoses more than doubled here from 2015 to 2016. The Medical Examiner recorded 33 overdose deaths in 2015.
That number jumped to 72 last year, exceeding the number of auto deaths recorded last year. They say 8 out of 10 accidental drug deaths directly involved Opioids.
The Director of WMU’s Specialty Program in Drug and Substance Abuse Dennis Simpson says most of those began with a doctor writing a prescription.
He says too many who complain of aches and pains because they are growing old are being prescribed opioids when other non-addictive pain-killers should be as effective.
He says getting doctors to prescribe non-addictive painkillers will be easy compared to treating all those who are already hooked.
He says the government has to ramp up treatment programs that use methadone and other alternatives to wean addicts off drugs and back to health.
