Drug Overdose Deaths Jump 82% in Michigan Over 5 Years

Drug overdoses in 2017 killed 2,662 Michiganians, more than the number of traffic and firearm deaths combined, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

The deaths represent an 82-percent increase over five years and an eight-percent jump from 2016, reports Detroit Patch.

“The CDC’s findings are staggering and I am reminded of how crucial it is for us to take action to protect more Michiganders from opioid addiction,” says State Rep. Joe Bellino, R-Monroe.

The study attributes the spike to stronger pain killers and an increase in opioid prescriptions.