According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. had the highest number of drug overdose deaths in 12 months. This was the first time that the United States has seen more than 100,000.
According to the latest CDC data, there were 100,306 drug-related deaths during the twelve months ending in April. This is nearly 29% more than the deaths recorded in April a year ago. This indicates that the U.S. is on track for another full-year record, after drug deaths spiked during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Robert Anderson, chief for the National Center for Health Statistics’ mortality statistics branch, said that it was telling them that 2021 will be worse than 2019.
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According to the CDC provisional drug deaths are compiled in one-year blocks. Fentanyl was the main driver of opioid-related deaths. Because drug overdoses are often a result of local deaths investigations and toxicology testing, these records can take months to compile.
Fentanyl has been a key catalyst in the intensifying U.S. drug overdose crisis for many years. As recently as 2014, the nation had reported fewer than 50K fatal overdoses. In 2020, that number jumped to an all-time high of approximately 93,330.
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Advocates for drug users and people in recovery say that the pandemic has intensified opioid problems in many ways. It has led to increased isolation among people trying sobriety, as well as complicated treatment. Public health authorities still trying to manage Covid-19 have also found the pandemic a major draw for resources and attention.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), bootleg versions fentanyl often come from Mexico and are made with chemicals from China. Fentanyl was a problem in the Midwest, New England, and Appalachian states several years ago. However, it is now a rapidly-growing problem in the western United States. Recently, the DEA warned of a rise in counterfeit fentanyl pills.
Fentanyl-related death rates are on the rise in Las Vegas. The Southern Nevada Health District recorded 160 deaths from the drug between August and this year. According to Brandon Delise, an epidemiologist at the health district, this puts the region on pace for potentially surpassing the 193 fentanyl-related deaths last year.
Source: Fox News
