PITTSBURGH (Newsradio KDKA) - Narcan, a drug used for the emergency treatment of an opioid overdose, was introduced back in 2017. Drug overdose deaths then plummeted.
However, we have a seen a steady increase since then, and we are currently almost back to those same levels.
One of the startling trends from the 2020 data points to methamphetamines.
"We had very little methamphetamine in Allegheny County five years ago. It's jumped to number five on the list of drugs present in the mixture." said Dr. Karl Williams, Allegheny County chief medical examiner, during the KDKA Radio Morning Show Wednesday. "Rarely do we get just a single drug accounting for the death - it's cocaine and fentanyl if you find only one."
Williams had a case last week where there were eight different drugs in a mixture that killed a person.
There is one family in particular that Williams holds responsible for starting the epidemic.
"Society has to be aware of the criminals - the Sacklers for god's sake - five years ago the Sacklers were the sixth richest family in the country. That's all based on the sale of of OxyContin. One drug - 90% of which was sold in the U.S.," Williams said.
The manifestation of the crisis started in West Virginia and the hills of Pennsylvania. The Sackler's sold OxyContin to a Medicare population, who soon grew an addiction. These people turned to heroin, which leads into fentanyl, Williams said.
The chief medical examiner believes more access to rehabilitation facilities would help combat the problem.
Listen to the full interview above to learn more.