More than half of the 2,497 drug deaths last year involved heroin.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Philadelphia Field Division released a statewide drug overdose report Wednesday.The report, "Analysis of Drug-Related Overdose Deaths in Pennsylvania 2014," which is the first comprehensive assessment of deaths caused by drugs for the state."Drug-related overdose deaths are increasing nationwide," said Special Agent in Charge Gary Tuggle of the DEA Philadelphia Field Division. "As such, it is imperative for law enforcement to maintain awareness of the drugs of abuse in the communities that we serve."Deaths that result from the abuse or misuse of illicit street drugs and diverted pharmaceuticals are of particular interest to the DEA and our law enforcement partners, as they reflect the most malicious way the illegal drug trade damages and destroys lives," Tuggle said.The DEA obtained information from 62 of the state's 67 counties on deaths caused by drugs.Heroin was the most frequently identified drug, found in 51.8 percent of drug-related deaths.The next drug found most frequently as the cause of death was alprazolam, the generic name for Xanax, which had 19.4 percent.Of the counties who responded, Carbon County reported 11 overdose deaths with eight being from heroin; Monroe reported 21 with 10 from heroin; Schuylkill reported 17, with seven of those related to heroin and eight related to Oxycodone; Lehigh had 66, with 41 of those related to heroin, and Northampton had 29, with 18 related to heroin.Carbon County District Attorney Jean Engler said that the county has been working to try and combat drugs in the area and help lower the number of overdose deaths."We have certainly stepped up enforcement through our drug task force," Engler said, noting that Carbon County has also partnered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office and the DEA to try and stop the pipelines coming into the region. "We are doing everything we can on the enforcement side."Pennsylvania ranked ninth in the country in drug overdoses at 18.9 per every 100,000 people.In the state, Philadelphia County ranked first in the rate of drug-related overdose deaths per 100,000 people with 41.98. Lehigh ranked 19th with 18.44; Carbon ranked 27th with 17.07; Monroe ranked 38th with 12.63; Northampton was 45th with 9.65; and Schuylkill was 47th with 8.92.Of the five counties, all but Schuylkill identified heroin as the most common drug identified. Schuylkill County saw more Oxycodone-related deaths.The DEA worked with Pennsylvania State Police, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Office of the Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control, the Philadelphia/Camden High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and county coroners and medical examiners to complete the assessment.