Rural Areas In California Particularly Hard Hit By Opioid Epidemic
“What you’re seeing in California is what you’re seeing in many parts of the country, including Oregon,” said Todd Korthuis, an expert on opioid abuse. “There are still a lot of rural counties around the U.S. that are awash in prescription opioids.”
Sacramento Bee:
California Opioid Use Shows Regional Differences
California, though, is far from a bystander to the crisis. There were 1,925 opioid-linked overdose deaths in California last year, according to recently updated state data, and thousands of emergency room visits. The problem also has a decidedly geographic dimension in California. In rural and semi-rural parts of the state, where the demographics resemble Appalachia more than Anaheim, prescription drug use and death rates vastly exceed the state average, state data show. (Miller, 9/8)
Ventura County Star:
Ventura County Opioid Deaths Fell 23 Percent In 2016
Opioid deaths fell 23 percent in Ventura County in 2016, with overdose deaths involving all drugs declining 12 percent, according to county data that contradicts national trends that show an alarming rise in drug deaths. The data released by Ventura County Behavioral Health shows 66 deaths last year linked to overdoses from opioids, a category ranging from powerful prescription painkillers to heroin. In 2015, 86 deaths involved opioids. (Kisken, 9/9)