/ Modified aug 13, 2021 2:49 p.m.

Pima County warns overdose deaths on the rise, fentanyl accounts for over half

Health officials say the pandemic is partially responsible for a rise in substance misuse.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the effects of the nation’s opioid epidemic have not let up in southern Arizona. The Pima County Health Department recently warned that overdose deaths in 2021 are on pace to set a record for the third consecutive year. Of the more than 240 people who have died so far this year, more than half overdosed on the powerful, synthetic opioid fentanyl. Tony Paniagua reports on why health officials cite the pandemic as a reason for increased substance misuse.

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