Opioid overdose deaths on the rise in Orange County

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Opioid-related overdose visits to the emergency room have more than doubled over the past decade in Orange County, according to a report from the Orange County Health Care Agency.

Drug overdose deaths in the county have gone up by 88 percent from 2000 to 2015.

Nearly half of all the deaths stemmed from accidental prescription drug overdoses.

Andrew Do, the agency's vice chair, said the Board of Supervisors has secured a grant to provide 6,218 doses of Nalaxone in Orange County in hopes of preventing future overdoses.

Some of the report's findings include:

• Seven of every 10 drug overdose death investigated by the OCSD during this five-year period involved opioids, for an average of 241 opioid-related overdose deaths each year.

• Males were nearly two times more likely than females to overdose and/or die from an opioid-related incident, and residents between the ages of 45 to 54 years had the highest opioid overdose death rates.

• Geographically, cities along the coastal and southern regions of Orange County (e.g., Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Dana Point, Costa Mesa, and Huntington Beach) tended to have higher rates of ED visits and death than other cities.

To access the report in its entirety, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/opioids.