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10 Plano Residents Have Died From Overdose This Year

The number is continuing to spike
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Photo: Joaquin Corbalan P | Shutterstock

Collin County has a problem: drug overdoses are continuing to rise over the years, surpassing previous years. 

In 2021, 10 people in Plano died of drug overdoses. According to Fox 4, that number was already reached this month. There is speculation that this year's number of deaths will likely increase. Ed Drain, Plano Police Chief announced a national program that maps overdoses is assisting the city in finding out what drugs in particular are killing people. In Plano and the rest of Collin County, heroin and fentanyl are to blame. 

KLDR reported that in the past three drug overdoses are up 571% in Collin County alone. The state of Texas had a 30.6% increase in drug doses in 2020. 

Plano has been a part of the mapping program for two years and will continue to monitor the data in order to begin preventing more deaths. Chief Drain also hopes to see some kind of action from a federal level to stop the growth of drug overdoses. 

The city of Dallas is also considering joining the mapping program because they have seen an increase in deaths as well. 

"We've seen young men die out partying, they meant to take Adderall, but instead got Fentanyl. It is my opinion people and entities outside America, when they do that are intending to kill Americans," Dallas County District Attorney John Cruezot told members of the Dallas City Council during a public safety meeting. 

On August 5 KLDR reported (via Newsbreak) a 29-year-old man was found dead by police from an apparent overdose in his Princeton home. But officers were able to find the individual responsible for selling the drugs to the man. Police identified the dealer as Princeton resident Gabriel Aldo Fossatti, and found a large number of drugs in the man's home. 

Fentanyl-related overdoses are becoming more and more common across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl is killing more people than almost any other drug. In 2021, 71,238 fentanyl-caused deaths were reported compared to 57,834 in 2020. But many deaths from drug overdose go unreported making the numbers fewer than they actually are.