Deaths from drug overdoses in Colorado are above national rates, with some counties among the nation’s highest, according to a new report by the Colorado Health Institute.
In a dozen Colorado countries, drug overdose deaths topped more than 20 per 100,000 residents. That puts them among the top in the U.S., according to the analysis of CDC data from 2002 to 2014 .
“We were really shocked," said Tamara Keeney, author of the report. "Rarely do you see health metrics move so quickly and so widespread. We see that drug overdose death rates have increased in every county in the state except for one.”
Seven of the top counties are in southern Colorado; three are along the urban Fron Range -- Adams County, Denver County, and Pueblo County.
That year, nearly 900 people died from intentional or unintentional drug overdoses.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated which counties have seen overdose death rates increase. The current version is correct.
