18 days in to the new year, and there are 18 probable drug related deaths, so far. 2016 saw the most drug related deaths ever in Milwaukee County and if 2017 continues on the trend its on, it could very well be worse.

Aside from that scary thought, something else to consider is how busy the Medical Examiner's Office in Milwaukee County is these days. They say drug-related deaths now take up a third of their work load. They're doing a lot more toxicology tests, as well, because of the array of drugs being used these days. The Medical Examiner's Office says drugs aren't always the direct cause of someone's death, but they may be a contributing factor. None the less, it is certainly keeping them busy.

"Four, five, six years ago, we were trending between 10 and 20% was drug related, and now the fact that we're up to a third, is pretty remarkable," said Sara Schreiber, Forensic Technical Director with the Medical Examiner's Office in Milwaukee County.

Since there is really no simple solution to the problem drug-related deaths anywhere in the state, it's about being aware and it's also about making smart decisions.