NEW YORK (AP) – More than 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s growing overdose epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday.
The provisional total of 2021 translates to approximately one death in the United States every 5 minutes. It was up 15% from last year’s previous record. The CDC reviews death certificates and then makes assessments to record late and incomplete reports.
Dr Nora Volkov, director of the National Institute on Drugs, called the latest figures “truly surprising”.
Overdose deaths have been on the rise in the United States for more than two decades. The rise began in the 1990s with overdoses of opioid analgesics, followed by death waves followed by other opioids such as heroin and, more recently, the banned fentanyl.
Last year, overdoses of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids exceeded 71,000, or 23% more than last year. There was also a 23% increase in mortality from cocaine and other stimulants of 34%.
Overdose death is often associated with more than one drug. Some people take certain medications, and cheap fentanyl is increasingly soluble in other medications, often unbeknownst to consumers, officials said.
“The net effect is that we have more people, including occasional drug users and even adults, exposed to these powerful substances, which can lead to overdose, even with relatively little little effect, “Volkov said in a statement.
Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem because closures and other restrictions separate addictive and complex treatments.
Trends in overdose death are not geographically uniform. Alaska saw a 75% increase in 2021, the biggest jump of any state. Overdose mortality was reduced by 2% in Hawaii.
The Associated Press Department of Health and Science receives support from the Science Education Department of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP is solely responsible for all content.
Source: Huffpost
