Drug overdose deaths hit all-time record in 2020

Drug overdose deaths hit all-time record in 2020

 

Drug overdose deaths rose by close to 30% in the United States in 2020, hitting the highest number ever recorded, the CDC reported last week.   More than 93,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2020, according to provisional data released by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. That's a 29.4% increase from the 72,151 deaths projected for 2019.   "Overdose deaths from synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) and psychostimulants such as methamphetamine also increased in 2020 compared to 2019. Cocaine deaths also increased in 2020, as did deaths from natural and semi-synthetic opioids (such as prescription pain medication)," the NCHS said in a statement.   "These data are chilling. The COVID-19 pandemic created a devastating collision of health crises in America," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.   "This has been an incredibly uncertain and stressful time for many people and we are seeing an increase in drug consumption, difficulty in accessing life-saving treatments for substance use disorders, and a tragic rise in overdose deaths," Volkow said.   "As we continue to address both the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis, we must prioritize making treatment options more widely available to people with substance use disorders."   ➕ From my colleague Elizabeth Cohen: An epidemic in the shadow of a pandemic