First Selectman Pat Llodra, who represents Newtown on the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, has issued a statement calling for residents to become better informed about the devastating effects of the opioid crisis gripping the nation, which is hitting home hard locally.the COG website dedicated to educating member communities by mapping the number of opioid-related deaths that have been verified in each municipality between 2009 and 2014. She also notes that more recent documentation not included in the COG data will show the death toll from opioid overdose has grown exponentially worse in 2015 and so far this year.Statistical DetailsCall To Action

Her memo includes a link to a section of

According to the Connecticut Medical Examiner, the state logged 729 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2015. And by the end of March 2016, officials attributed 208 more deaths to either heroin, the powerful pain killer fentanyl or some combination of the two.

If that statistical uptick in overdose deaths remains consistent into December, the state could see well more than 800 deaths

As recently as June 13, local emergency responders were called to a Newtown home on a suspected drug overdose, and were unable to revive the individual involved, who was pronounced dead by a local emergency medical technician (EMT). In Mrs Llodra's memo, she directly appeals to residents to access an online graphic that illustrates the number of opioid deaths that have occurred in each COG member community, as well as the overdose rate per each 1,000 residents in each community.

According to that chart, between 2009 and 2014, Newtown reported 13 of the 185 opioid overdose deaths logged among the 18 communities surveyed - about one death for every 472 of the total 27,560 residents in town over that five-year period. The graphic also notes that the data only counts deaths of people if the individuals died in the state. If a Connecticut resident died outside of the state, that data is not included.

Other statistical details included in the report include:

*Between 2009 and 2014, the state logged 1,973 opioid deaths;

*The median age of victims was 41;

*Caucasian victims represented 84.2 percent of those who died;

*African Americans represented five percent;

*Hispanics represented roughly 9.8 percent - although Hispanic stats are believed to be under reported;

*Only 1.1 percent of state overdose victims were deemed "homeless";

*Among victims statewide, heroin or morphine was involved in 61.1 percent of deaths;

*Pharmaceutical opioids were tied to 54 percent of deaths;

*Younger male victims were found to have only heroin/morphine in their systems;

*Most opioid deaths during this period occurred at the victim's home, or the home of a friend or family member.

In her memo, Mrs Llodra said, "There is no denying that we are in the grip of a significant public health crisis; a crisis that shows no signs of abating; a crisis that is robbing our town and all of Connecticut and states beyond of young and not-so-young folks who are imprisoned in a habit of drug use that threatens their lives and which creates great disruption and emotional pain for their families and loved ones.

"I am calling on all caring folks to get informed, get involved, help propel this issue to our public consciousness," the first selectman continued. "We will soon bring together all the related agencies and departments in an effort to better focus our response. There will be no one singular action or answer to this problem, it will take many hands in a variety of ways to lift this burden. And we will reach out to all Newtowners to be part of the solution."