WEAVERVILLE, Calif. - Health officials in Trinity County are trying to combat the overuse of prescription opioids and heroin by creating a partnership with surrounding counties for a regional approach to treatment.

Anne Lagorio, the assistant director of Trinity County Behavioral Health said the program is still in the planning phase and needs final approval from the state. She adds once approved it would only help those on Medi-Cal but hoped it would start a framework for support to end opioid abuse.

According to the California Department of Public Health, Trinity County had 1442.58 opioid prescriptions per 1,000 people, the highest amount in the state.

That number did not surprise Lagorio but she urged caution when looking at the numbers. "It's difficult looking at statistics for Trinity because we are the fifth smallest county as far as population," said Lagorio.

Those statistics are the exact numbers she wants to reverse using the help of eight neighboring counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Trinity, Mendocino, Shasta, Modoc and Lassen counties.

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Northstate counties to create regional approach to opioid treatment