Connecticut's fatal drug overdoses on pace to top 2015 total

(AP) -- The number of fatal drug overdoses in Connecticut is on pace to exceed last year's total, but there are signs the epidemic might be levelling off. The state medical examiner's office reported

News 12 Staff

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May 21, 2016, 2:54 AM

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Updated 3,141 days ago

(AP) -- The number of fatal drug overdoses in Connecticut is on pace to exceed last year's total, but there are signs the epidemic might be levelling off.

The state medical examiner's office reported Friday that 208 deaths were attributed to drug overdoses in the first three months of 2016. More than half involved heroin.

That puts Connecticut on pace for more than 830 fatal overdoses this year, or more than the 729 attributed to overdoses in 2015, the office said.

But the rate at which fatal overdoses is rising appears to be slowing.

The number of fatal overdoses increased 28 percent from 2014 to 2015 but the projected increase from 2015 to 2016 is about 14 percent so far, the office said.

Of this year's overdose deaths, 83 involved the increasingly popular synthetic opioid drug fentanyl.