By Josh Mitchell
Corinth Today News Editor
Alcorn and Tishomingo counties were identified as overdose death “hot spots” for the period from 2011-2017.
Together, Alcorn and Tishomingo counties were one of just three geographical clusters statewide with a “high concentration of overdose deaths.” In fact, Tishomingo County had the third-highest overdose death rate at 23 deaths per 100,000 people.
New overdose death numbers were released Friday by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Likewise, Alcorn County had one of the higher overdose death rates at 15 deaths per 100,000.
While Tishomingo County had a higher overdose death rate, Alcorn County actually had more overdose deaths.
Alcorn County had 40 overdose deaths from 2011 to 2017 while Tishomingo County, which has fewer people, had 32.
Both counties had more overdose deaths than the state average per county of 27 with an average statewide overdose death rate of 10.7 deaths per 100,000 people.
There were 346 drug overdose deaths in Mississippi in 2017, the report said. That was down slightly from 348 in 2016.
In 2017, deaths involving fentanyl, heroin, amphetamines, cocaine and benzodiazepines increased as did deaths from multiple drug use.
Of drug-related deaths from 2011-2017, most were white, tended to be single and usually had low levels of education.
Every county in Mississippi, except Jefferson, reported drug overdose deaths from 2011-2017. Mississippi drug overdose deaths were up 24 percent in 2017 compared to 2011.
In 2017, opioids, including prescription opioids, fentanyl, heroin, and methadone, were involved in 180, or 52 percent, of overdose death cases.
Benzodiazepines accounted for about 20 percent of the overdose deaths, and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine and prescription amphetamine-related drugs were about 18 percent.
Deaths from psychostimulants showed the greatest increase from just two in 2011 to 63 in 2017, a spike of 3,050 percent. Deaths involving opioids increased 136 percent during that time period.
From 2011 to 2017 there were 2,245 drug overdose deaths, and 1,943 were unintentional. Another 186 were suicide; two were homicides; and the intention was undetermined in 114.
In 2017, more than one drug was recorded in 38 percent of overdose deaths.
The age group of 45 to 54 accounted for most of the overdose deaths followed by the ages of 35 to 44 from 2011-2017.
Men accounted for 56 percent of the total deaths.
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