Narcotics 'Ended Him,' Grieving Family Of Indiana Man Says

(CBS) – President Trump declared the opioid crisis a national emergency Thursday.

The announcement comes as the La Porte County, Indiana Sheriff's Office investigates three narcotics-related overdoses over the weekend, leaving two people dead.

CBS 2's Sandra Torres speaks with one family coping with the loss.

It's hard to talk about, but for Lisa Martin and her brother, Joe Goldstein, sharing their brother's struggle with drug addiction is important.

Robert Goldstein -- a 29-year-old father of four -- died of a drug overdose Aug. 6.

"We've been watching Bob suffer with this for 12, maybe 15 years, and it's torn us all apart," Joe Goldstein says.

Says Martin: "You wanted to shake him and tell him, 'You have to stop.'"

"Anytime the phone would ring you'd think, 'Is this Bob, is this it?'" Joe says.

It was Bob, finally. He was one of three narcotics-related overdoses in one weekend in La Porte County.

"He didn't get what he thought he was getting. It ended him," Joe Goldstein says.

While toxicology results are still pending the family is hoping their story -- Bob's story -- teaches a lesson to others about the disease.

"How many people have to die, how many families have to be devastated by this disease?" Joe Goldstein says. "An addict is almost considered a criminal. Right off the bat. And that hasn't worked for treating this, so far."

The sheriff's office says they're very concerned about the amount of overdoses in such a short period of time. They say their narcotics investigators are working diligently to reduce the amount of drugs flowing into La Porte County.

At least two of the three overdose cases are connected, authorities say.