NBC10 Investigators reporter Mitch Blacher traces the opioid epidemic to its sources, after finding doctors over-prescribing medicine, with no care for the consequences.
A grand jury convened in a suburban Philadelphia county to investigate rising opioid deaths has recommended mandatory minimum sentences for heroin dealers.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele says it was an uncommon use of a grand jury but he hopes their work will help fight what he called "a tsunami of death."
The 23-member panel heard testimony over 13 months before their recommendations were released Wednesday. Members also called for a statewide online system to help addicts find available treatment.
Montgomery County saw 249 drug-related deaths in 2016, up from 177 the year before.
