Prince's death: The view from front lines of drug epidemic

NEW YORK (AP) — On the front lines of America's fight against a drug-abuse epidemic, there have been emotional, sometimes contradictory reactions to news that investigators are looking into whether Prince died of an overdose.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the record number of drug overdose deaths in 2014 included 18,893 related to prescription pain relievers and 10,574 related to heroin, which many abusers switch to after becoming hooked on painkillers.

Barbara Cimaglio, the deputy health commissioner in Vermont, raised the possibility that Prince's death — depending on what details emerge — might help accelerate an ongoing national discussion about to how to ensure that physicians follow proper procedures in prescribing opioid painkillers.

Fond memories of Prince remain vivid for Tym Rourke, 44, who works with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and is chairman of the Governor's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention.

Rourke has been working in the addiction field for two decades, and says there's been a dramatic change in recent years as more people find they know someone who is directly affected by serious drug abuse.

A high-profile overdose death can help raise awareness of addiction problems, she said, but overall her feelings are mixed.

Across the country, in Orange, California, Denise Cullen is executive director of a national network called GRASP that seeks to support families and individuals who have lost a loved one to substance abuse or addiction.

Bushell, who recalls being a high school freshman when Prince released his hit "Purple Rain" in 1984, hopes that whatever unfolds in regard to his death does not add to the stigma that's widely attached to drug addiction.