Heroin and opioid drug related deaths surpass highway fatalities in Virginia

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ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - Heroin use and drug overdoses are on the rise in Virginia. For the first time, heroin and opioid drug related deaths surpassed highway fatalities in Virginia last year.

In 2014, 728 Virginians died from overdosing on drugs. In the same year, there were 700 highway fatalities. That's a big change from 2013 when the highway death toll was 741 compared to 661 drug overdose deaths.

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Drug advocates say rural areas are especially impacted by drug overdose deaths due to a lack of resources in the area.

One Southwest Virginia family shared their personal story of loss with WSLS 10 after a loved one died from an addiction.

Two years ago, it was a dark path that took Lisa Hatcher's niece at the age of 14. Ironically, it began with a car accident. To cope with injury, Hatcher's niece was given prescription pain pills - that's where the addiction began.

"As she moved off of the pain pills and couldn't access them anymore she turned to heroin," said Hatcher. "And, unfortunately heroin is what took her life."

Hatcher said the family was oblivious to her niece's substance abuse during the recovery.

"We didn't really know that she was addicted to heroin," commented Hatcher. "We suspected that she was struggling with her pain pill issue because, as she was not getting her pain pills from her primary care doctor anymore, then she would have issues going to the emergency room."

Bill Harris, the clinical program supervisor at Mt. Regis, said this is not uncommon. In fact, 50 percent of his patients suffer from heroin and opioid addiction.

"It doesn't seem to be getting less and less," said Harris. "For whatever reasons, I don't know if it's necessary access to treatment, but just the availability of different types of drugs, the beginning of substance abuse and independence, the popularity...is creating greater opportunity."

However, Hatcher like others want to educate the community about the disease to help save lives.

"You just don't think someone in your family is going to have to deal with it, but I personally believe everyone in America knows one person who needs help," said Hatcher.

Local law enforcement within the Roanoke Valley and Virginia State Police will hold a news conference on the growing concern of heroin use among teens in the area on Tuesday.