The Paducah Sunreports the county coroner's office says there were nine overdose deaths in 2015. In 2016, overdose fatalities in the county climbed to 15 deaths.
Coroner Dan Sims says usually a majority of drug deaths in the area are multi-substance overdoses, meaning there's a mixture of substances, which may also include alcohol, in the person's system. Sims says drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine and Suboxone are some of the most common contributors in overdose deaths.
Deputy Coroner Ryan Johnston says multi-substance deaths are typically accidental because several people don't realize the effects of mixing substances.
Citing Paducah's high rate of drug use, Sims says he expects to see the number of fatal overdoses continue to increase.