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Highlands Today

Alcohol, oxycodone commonly found in deaths

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: July 2, 2009

SEBRING - With all the commotion in the news about Florida clamping down on "pill mills" responsible for dispensing massive quantities of pain killers like oxycodone to the public, the District 10 Medical Examiner's Office offered up some statistics Wednesday.

The District 10 Medical Examiner investigates unknown or suspicious deaths in Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties.

Until 2009, the office did not track these deaths by county, according to Sheli Wilson, the District 10 office manager. Those numbers are not available.

"This year they're starting to break it down by county, but we're not even a quarter into that one," she said.

The district performed toxicological exams on about 311 bodies in 2008.

Based upon the District 10 toxicology data, of the approximate 180 bodies the office autopsied in which the type of death was determined to be accidental, about 80 indicated that alcohol contributed to the cause or was present at the time of death.

Of the accidental deaths, about 40 of the bodies contained multiple drugs classified as amphetamines, benzodiazepines, inhalants or opioids.

Of the approximate 64 deaths ruled suicides, about 27 had alcohol present. Ten of the suicides died of multiple drug intoxication.

Of the accidental deaths, five people died of methadone intoxication, three died of morphine intoxication, six died of cocaine intoxication and one died of oxycodone intoxication and one died of cocaine and oxycodone intoxication.

In 2008 there were 75 bodies autopsied from Highlands County.

Twelve died as the result of motor vehicle accidents, 17 died from non-motor vehicle accidents, 11 deaths were by suicide, seven were ruled homicides, two were listed as undetermined and 26 died of natural causes.

Another 22 bodies were inspected. Nineteen deaths were deemed natural causes, one was the result of a motor vehicle accident and two were because of non-motor vehicle accidents.

While the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is analyzing deaths by county, no further information for Highlands County was readily available by press time.

More than half of the bodies autopsied in Florida in 2008 had at least one or more drugs in their systems, which was an increase from the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday by the state Medical Examiner's Office, an Associated Press story stated.

According to the 2008 Report by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission on Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons, in Florida for 2008, one or more drugs were found in 8,556 bodies autopsied, out of 16,111 autopsies completed last year.

Of those found with drugs in their systems, 4,070 also had consumed alcohol.

"During that period, there were approximately 171,800 deaths in Florida. Of those, 8,556 individuals were found to have died with one or more of the drugs specified in this report in their bodies," the report stated.

Prescription medications were the cause of 2,184 deaths statewide. Surprisingly the number of deceased persons with cocaine in their systems dropped from 2007, but the numbers were still high (1,791).

The report indicates the most frequently occurring drugs found in the deceased were Ethyl Alcohol, all benzodiazepines (3,229), cocaine and oxycodone (1,574).

The drugs that caused the most deaths were oxycodone (1,574), all benzodiazepines (3,229) with alprazolam, also known as Xanax, accounting for the majority of the deaths, methadone, cocaine, ethyl alcohol, morphine and hydrocodone, the report stated.

Heroin use increased by 20 percent and deaths caused by heroin increased by 28 percent when compared to 2007, the report stated.

"Oxycodone and alprazolam became more prevalent in 2008, increasing by 25.6 percent and 29.4 percent respectively.

"Deaths caused by oxycodone also increased by 33.5 percent and deaths caused by alprazolam increased by 23.3 percent compared to 2007," the report stated.

FAST FACTS

In 2008 there were 75 bodies autopsied from Highlands County.

Twelve died as the result of motor vehicle accidents, 17 died from non-motor vehicle accidents, 11 deaths were by suicide, seven were ruled homicides, two were listed as undetermined and 26 died of natural causes.

Another 22 bodies were inspected. Nineteen deaths were deemed natural causes, one was the result of a motor vehicle accident and two were because of non-motor vehicle accidents.

More than half of the bodies autopsied in Florida in 2008 had at least one or more drugs in their systems, which was an increase from the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday by the state Medical Examiner's Office, an Associated Press story stated.

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at 863-386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com.

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