Heroin deaths doubled in 2013 in 2 Conn. cities

NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) - The number of deaths from heroin overdoses in New London and Norwich doubled in 2013 over the previous year

The Day of New London reports (https://bit.ly/1cdPFaQ ) that the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner says at least 20 combined deaths - 10 in each of the two cities - in 2013 were caused by heroin or heroin and a mix of other substances such as alcohol and cocaine.

At least five people died of heroin overdoses in each city in 2012. Other overdose deaths may have been partly caused by heroin but are attributed to “multiple drug toxicity” without specific drugs cited.

Jack Malone, executive director of the Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, blames the soaring rates of addiction to opioids, which are mostly prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin.

“More people are coming in. It’s a subtle but consistent change that crosses socioeconomic lines and now includes younger kids from affluent communities,” Malone said.

Some heroin users will seek out the drug known to have caused an overdose to obtain the high they felt when they first starting using.

The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services reports that heroin addiction ranks second behind alcohol as the reason people are seeking treatment. It reports 15,965 people who sought treatment from a state-funded facility for heroin addiction in 2012, a slight increase from the 15,736 in 2011. Numbers for 2013 were not yet available.

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Information from: The Day, https://www.theday.com