A new report by state health officials is showing a drop in violent crime but continued problems with heroin deaths, rising childhood asthma and obesity.

The Massachusetts Health Council report, citing FBI crime reports, said that the state's murder rate fell by 34% and all violent crime fell by 4.5% from 2011 to 2012. Health Council Executive Director Susan Servais tells WBSM News, much of that decrease can be attributed to more active neighborhood groups and other coalitions.

However, the study found a 10% increase in heroin and opioid deaths between 2011 and 2012.

The council reported 1,300 Massachusetts babies were born with narcotics in their system last year. That's more than 17-per-1,000 hospital births, far higher than the 5-per-1,000 rate nationally in 2012.

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420