A disturbing trend in Westmoreland County shows drug overdoses are increasing.

According to new numbers, 71 deaths were investigated across Westmoreland County in 2012, and 14 more suspected overdoses could be added to that total. The coroner said he investigated only 22 overdoses in 2002.

Channel 11’s Courtney Brennan talked to Carmen Capozzi, a father who lost his son to an overdose last March, about his son’s death.

“Sage was 20 when he died from heroin,” Capozzi said.

According to Capozzi, his son got hooked on heroin when he was 14, and even wrote songs about the addiction.

Capozzi said when his son died, he spent two days crying on the floor.

“The second day, plain as day, we were sitting here and I heard Sage’s voice. He said, ‘Dad, get up. They’re not bad kids. You have to help,’” Capozzi said.

Capozzi said he then started Sage’s Army, a nonprofit organization that tries to keep kids off of drugs, and help those who are addicted.

“Sage battled it. That’s the thing with these kids, they don’t like it but they can’t get away from it,” Capozzi said.

Capozzi talked to students at the Karat School on Thursday and asked them to join his army and be his soldiers in the never-ending battle against drug addiction.