WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Nine of the 11 drug-related deaths in St. Joseph County last year involved either methamphetamine or fentanyl, according to the county’s medical examiner, Joyce deJong.
She said there have been six drug-related fatalities in St. Joseph County through the first half of 2023. In every case, meth and/or fentanyl were involved, deJong said.
Eight men and five women were drug-overdose victims in 2022 in the county. Based on the ZIP Code to identify victims, five died in Three Rivers’ 49093, two in the Constantine area, and one each in ZIP Codes covering Burr Oak, White Pigeon, Colon, and Sturgis.
In all, 562 people died in St. Joseph County last year, according to statistics provided by deJong. That figure is down from 604 in 2021.
Seven of the county’s nine suicides reported last year were by firearm, according to deJong’s report. All nine suicides in the county in 2022 were male.
