Kentucky overdose deaths rose 16% in 2015, the first year state lawmakers toughened penalties for traffickers and increased spending on addiction programs.
Overall:
The 2015 Overdose Fatality Report shows 1,248 people died of drug overdoses in Kentucky last year compared to 1,071 deaths in 2014. Heroin accounted for 28% of all overdose deaths.
But state officials were most concerned with fentanyl, an opioid often mixed with heroin. Fentanyl accounted for 421 overdose deaths in 2015, or 34% of all overdose deaths in the state. In 2014, fentanyl accounted for 121 overdose deaths.
Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, had the most overdose deaths and the largest increase of deaths with 204 more than the previous year. Kenton County (Covington) had 71 more overdose deaths than 2014 while Fayette County (Lexington) had 29 additional deaths.
In the WKMS Listening Area:
In the WKMS listening area, McCracken County led the region in the total number of deaths from overdose, with 69 from 2012 to 2015. Hopkins County is second highest with 37. Marshall County has the highest by population percentage. Heroin and fentanyl - an opioid mixed with heroin - account for more than half of the opioid deaths in Kentucky, and in our region is most prevalent in McCracken County.
Regional Deaths by County:
Data from the 2015 Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy Overdose Fatality Report
(Note: dates not listed = 0)
Ballard:
- 2015: less than five
Calloway
- 2012: less than five
- 2013: less than five
- 2014: less than five
- 2015: 5
- Total: 16
Carlisle
- 2013: less than five
Christian
- 2012: 6
- 2013: 9
- 2014: less than five
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 19
Crittenden
- 2012: less than five
- 2013: less than five
- 2014: less than five
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 5
Fulton
- 2012: less than five
Graves
- 2012: 7
- 2013: 5
- 2014: less than five
- 2015: 5
- Total: 21
Hickman
- 2015: less than five
Hopkins
- 2012: 5
- 2013: 20
- 2014: 8
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 37
Livington
- 2012: less than five
- 2013: less than five
- 2014; less than five
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 7
Lyon
- 2012: less than five
- 2013: less than five
- 2015: less than five
- Total: less than five
McCracken
- 2012: 21
- 2013: 18
- 2014: 20
- 2015: 10
- Total: 69
McLean
- 2012: less than five
- 2013: less than five
- Total: less than five
Marshall
- 2012: 6
- 2013: 9
- 2014: 12
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 31
Muhlenberg
- 2012: less than five
- 2013: 7
- 2014: 9
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 24
Todd
- 2012: less than five
- 2013: less than five
- 2014: less than five
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 8
Trigg
- 2012: less than five
- 2013: less than five
- 2014: less than five
- 2015: 6
- Total: 11
Union
- 2012: 6
- 2013: 5
- 2014: 6
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 21
Webster
- 2013: less than five
- 2014: less than five
- 2015: less than five
- Total: 5
