Heat-related deaths are up, and not just because it's getting hotter seattletimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from seattletimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Heat-related illness and deaths in California and the U.S. are on the rise along with temperatures, and an increase in drug use and homelessness is a significant part of the problem, according to public health officials and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Excessive heat contributed to 1,670 deaths nationwide last year, according to federal data the highest rate in at least two decades. An increase in drug use and homelessness, along with hotter temperatures, were among the reasons.
There were about 4.2 deaths per 1 million Californians last year where heat exhaustion was a factor. Only once in the last 20 years has the death rate been higher.