On our website today is the start of the “License to Pill” series, a multistory series that looks at the opioid threat and how it’s affected our country, especially middle and southeastern United States

Regular readers will recall we recently published a comprehensive look at the opioid threat in our area.

In late October and throughout November, the SunLight Project took a hard look at the opioid threat throughout Tift County and Georgia over several editions.

And looking at states such as West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, where opioids have hit even harder than here, growing into a deadly crisis, we don’t think we can stress the dangers enough.

The “License to Pill” series takes a broader look at opioids across the nation while delving into the growing issues facing states, cities, families and individuals in the South.

The first story looks at doctors overprescribing opioid painkillers, creating addicts and lead to destroyed lives and death. Many of these doctors have been charged or convicted in over-prescribing painkillers.

The series, which will run throughout March, was investigated by our news partners with Raycom Media.

Opioid addiction and subsequent fatal overdoses in the South have not reached the tragic epidemic rates of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia but Southern usage is increasing.

If the series can increase reader awareness, urge area and state officials to seek better remedies to opioid addiction, keep our region from being ravaged like cities in other areas of the nation, serve as a warning or save a life, then the issue is worth every inch of space, every page and every report we can focus on the opioid threat.