FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The opioid epidemic continues to take a lethal toll on Kentuckians.
A state report shows there were 1,404 fatal overdoses in Kentucky in 2016 -- a 7.4% increase from the previous year. Heroin was involved in 456 deaths.
The Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy says fentanyl is driving up the overdose deaths. Fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid that is often blended with heroin and other drugs. It contributed to nearly half of all overdose deaths in Kentucky last year.
Louisville, Lexington and Northern Kentucky experienced the highest number of fatal overdoses in 2016.
Jefferson County had the most overdose deaths of any county with 364, up from 268 in the 2015 report.
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