January 07, 2017
Pennsylvania's heroin and opioid epidemic is no secret. A July report from the Drug Enforcement Administration found that drug-related overdoses in Pennsylvania increased by 23.4 percent in 2015. Heroin was the most frequent drug identified in that report, appearing in 55 percent of the state's overdoses.
The problem is especially bad in Luzerne County, where officials reported 140 overdose deaths for 2016. That's an increase from a record high of 95 in 2015, according to The Times Leader, and more than the totals for 2013 and 2014 combined. The trend may continue into the new year, officials told the newspaper.
A new NBC News documentary explores the alarming trend in Luzerne County. Published online Friday, the documentary features county officials, addicts and residents who have lost relatives and friends to overdoses.
You can watch the documentary below:
