The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office released their 2010 statistics on Thursday it reveals a disturbing trend.
One alarming trend included the increase in heroin deaths among young people under the age of 30, the stats showed.
“This included seven teenage deaths, one of which was due to heroin withdrawals,” said Dr. Jonathan Lucas, Deputy Medical Examiner for San Diego County. “In this age group, that is more than the last ten years combined.”
In 2010, the Medical Examiner's office performed 2,718 autopsies and examinations.
The leading cause of death in San Diego remains cardiovascular disease. The next common cause of death was death due to drugs or medications.
Accidental falls and suicides claimed the third and fourth spots on the list.
On a positive note, the number of motor vehicle deaths has decreased since 2009. The office also said the number of homicides are the lowest they have been in 20 years.
