Drug overdose deaths on the rise

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Drug overdose deaths in the United States rose for eleven consecutive years, according to information reported Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control.

According to the report, 38,329 people died of overdoses in 2010, the last year for which data is available. Of those, 60 percent resulted from misuse of medicine, particularly prescription drugs, authorities said.

The reports indicate that most of the deaths were accidental and not suicides, though experts say there are some overdose cases whose nature is less clear.

Local pathologist Dr. Roland Kohr said he has seen a similar increase in overdose in recent years.

“I’ve been doing this for almost 25 years in this area, and we’ve always had some drug overdoses,” Kohr said. “Over the last several years, it’s been something that is significantly growing.”

Kohr said many of those cases involve inexperienced drug users who do not know what affects different doses of drugs can have.