Overdoses up nationally, locally during 2020 and last updated 2021-01-07 23:23:15-05 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. â Overdose deaths in Kent County are on track to be on par or potentially outpace the numbers of 2019 and 2018. Medical professionals say the pandemic has prompted some to turn to drugs and alcohol, with isolation proving to be a main factor in substance use disorders over the past year. "Right now in our community we are seeing an increase in substance use disorders. We're seeing an increase in rates of substance use of both in opioids and alcohol we can point to that more easily," said Dr. Cara Poland, Medical Director of Addiction Medicine at Spectrum Health and Assistant Professor at Michigan State University.