A recent Kentucky Health Issues Poll indicates that many Kentucky residents are aware of the state’s ongoing drug overdose problem. 

According to the data, about half or 44 percent of Kentucky adults that participated in the survey indicated they understood that overdose is the leading cause of unintentional deaths in the Commonwealth and that drug overdoses overtook motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of unintentional deaths in Kentucky in 2010.

Dr. Susan Zepeda, President and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky stated an estimated 16 Kentuckians each week die from unintentional poisonings, and many Kentuckians recognize the magnitude of this problem.

The data from the poll also showed that more than four in ten or 43 percent of western Kentucky residents identified overdoses as the leading cause of unintended deaths.

Dr. Zepeda added that awareness is the first step towards curbing this trend – it is up to all of us to get involved and take action to reduce the toll of this health crisis.

The poll was conducted from September 20^th through October 14th of last year by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati and was funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is a non-profit, philanthropic organization working to address the unmet health care needs of Kentuckians.
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(03/19/2013/MF)