(WTXL) - With the number of drug overdose deaths on the rise, the opioid crisis has sparked a national conversation.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports that nearly 4,000 drug cases were submitted to their lab from January to May of this year.
One of the biggest issues the organization is facing is a backlog of drug cases in crime labs across the state.
GBI Public Relations Director Nelly Miles said a lot of the problem comes from how drugs have changed.
"The drugs these days are many different components," she said. "You don't get a case with just one item. You have a variety of different drugs, so that just makes trying to test that and analyze it more difficult."
The GBI reports that across the state, the top six drugs tested were methamphetamine, cocaine, oxycodone, heroin, and hydrocodone.
Miles says it is a priority of the GBI to target those who are pushing drugs across the state.
