GBI sees rise in prescription drug abuse overdoses
Published 11:51 am Friday, July 22, 2011
An analysis of autopsies by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has found a 10 percent increase in the number of prescription overdose deaths in 2010 compared to 2009.
The analysis shows that the number of drug overdose deaths involving only prescription drugs jumped from 508 in 2009 to 560 in 2010. It also showed that 68 other deaths were attributed to a combination of prescription and illicit drugs.
In all, there were 729 drug overdose deaths in 2010. Most of those deaths were found to be accidental, but about 9 percent were determined to be suicides.
The analysis of the GBI Medical Examiner’s drug overdose autopsies involves 152 counties. The study does not include several metro Atlanta counties, including Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett and DeKalb.