(La Porte County, IN) - The number of people dying from drug overdoses in La Porte County is way up this year.  By the end of May, there were 20 overdose deaths with a majority of those happening in Michigan City.  There were 11 overdose deaths at the same point last year.

The information is from La Porte County Coroner Lynn Swanson, who believes the sharp rise might from job loss and feelings isolation brought on by restrictions during the pandemic.  She’s hoping for better days ahead with COVID-19 now easing up.  “I just hope things can start straightening out a little bit and we can all get back to what we knew as normal and maybe our numbers will start going back down again,” Swanson said.

Swanson said there were 15 suicides in La Porte County in the first five months of the year compared to eight at the same time last year.