A new state report highlights the ongoing problems posed by opioid abuse on the Central and South Coasts, with more than 110 deaths reported in the region during the most recent reporting year. The State Department of Public Health data shows 85 deaths from opioid related overdoses in Ventura County in 2017, and 32 in Santa Barbara County during the same period.
The mortality rate was up 111% in Ventura County. There is one bit of good news. With heavy emphasis on the opioid abuse crisis, doctors are prescribing less of the drugs. Ventura County had a 15% decrease compared to 2015, and Santa Barbara County had a 17% drop.
Still, the number of prescriptions is staggering, with 517,000 in Ventura County in 2017, and nearly 250,000 in Santa Barbara County.
