Southeast Michigan has a big drug problem, and in some cases, it's fatal.
Dave Lewallen of WXYZ reports that Southeast Michigan is seeing a spike in heroin and fentanyl overdose deaths. And in Washtenaw County, the problem is reaching epidemic proportions.
WXYZ reports that Washtenaw County has seen 23 overdose deaths in the past five moths. Seven of them had traces of fentanyl in them, and two of them were pure fentanyl without any heroin.
Fentanyl is commonly used as part of an anesthesia to help prevent pain after surgery or other medical procedures, and is approximately 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine and about 15 to 20 times more potent than heroin.
The problem goes far beyond Washtenaw County. WXYZ reports that the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office recorded more than 40 heroin deaths in 2014, nearly double the number from the year before.
Sometimes the problem begins with people getting hooked on prescription drugs and then moving on to heroin and fentanyl.
Washtenaw County Sheriff's Spokesman Derrick Jackson told WXYZ the problem involves all types of people.
"We're talking about stay at home moms, middle aged white women getting addicted to pain medication."
