Illegally Obtained Drugs Are To Blame For A Majority Of Mass. Overdose Deaths In 2013 And 2014

On Thursday the governor's office released a new analysis of the state's opioid epidemic, focusing on overdose deaths from 2013 to 2014.

Among its findings:

-- Opioid-related deaths have increased by 350 percent in Massachusetts in 15 years.

-- In 2013-'14, opioids accounted for more than a quarter of all fatalities in the 18-24 age group. For people ages 25-34, opioids were responsible for more than a third of all deaths.

-- Prescription drugs may fuel the epidemic, but illegally obtained substances — like heroin and fentanyl — are more closely linked to overdose-related deaths.

-- In 2013 and 2014, opioid-related deaths were recorded in two-thirds of Massachusetts municipalities.

Marylou Sudders, the secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, joined WBUR Friday morning to discuss the report's findings.