AUGUSTA — Maine has seen an increase in drug-related deaths from 2012 to 2013.

Attorney General Janet Mills said 176 drug-induced deaths happened in the state in 2013, an increase of 13 deaths over 2012.

Mills said 105 of the deaths were attributable to pharmaceutical opiods and 34 were attributable to heroin.

Most of the deaths reportedly are accidental overdoses.

Mills said the Maine Drug Taskforce closed approximately 830 drug cases in 2013.

The proportion of cases involving prescription drugs fell from 50.8 percent of the total in 2012 to 43.8 percent of the total in 2013; the proportion of cases involving heroin rose sharply from 7.7 percent of the total in 2012 to 20.4 percent of the total in 2013.

In 2013, cocaine cases represented about 18 percent of the total.


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