The East Baton Rouge Parish coroner is reporting significant increases in the number of homicide and drug overdose deaths in 2017.
Dr. Beau Clark issued his annual report Thursday. He says there was a nearly 50% increase in the homicide rate last year compared to 2016.
As for the overdose stats, Clark points out that heroin-related deaths climbed to 45 in 2017 compared to 34 the previous year.
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