The Appalachian Regional Commission today released a new visual tool which provides a snapshot of the region’s drug problem at a glance. The map shows county-by-county drug overdose rates. The darkest colored counties have the highest rates, with more than 46 overdose deaths per 100,000 people. All counties in our region exceed that number, with some having rates twice as high. The map can also be used to compare overdose rates to county-level demographic and economic factors. Officials with ARC say while drug abuse is a national problem, solutions will come from the local level, and the map is a tool local officials can use to plot strategies. To view the map, simply visit http://overdosemappingtool.norc.org/