Drug overdose death rate high in some small towns

"It may not be surprising that well-known urban centers like New Orleans, Baltimore, and San Francisco appear on the Forbes list of cities dealing with the worst drug problems in the nation," reports Nathan Vardi of Forbes. "But some smaller communities are also facing epic battles with drugs." In many small towns, rates of drug-related deaths can far exceed the national rate of 7.3 per 100,000 population.

Many of these communities are trying to bring down the number of deaths associated with drug use. Techniques include distributing Narcan, used to reverse the effects of an overdose, and granting people immunity from prosecution for possession of illegal drugs when calling 911 to or taking someone to the hospital when seeking help for an overdose. "But certain areas of the country continue to see huge drug problems for reasons that sometimes confound those trying to dam the tide," writes Vardi.

Drug use has remained steady over the last few years, with 8 percent of the population abusing drugs, but three-fourths of the country feel the war on drugs is being lost. (Read more)