‘Even before coronavirus, U.S. drug overdose deaths reached a record high of 70,980 in 2019, an increase of 4.6% from 2018, according to Politico. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids caused 36,500 of the overdose deaths. A more region-specific study underscores the depths of a national problem. Investigating 7 years of deaths in San Francisco, investigators found that more than 1 in 6 deaths attributed to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were actually due to overdose. The findings are significant in that San Francisco’s age-adjusted overdose mortality rate nearly mirrors the national rate.
‘White House and health officials said they expected the COVID-19 pandemic to result in the overdose death rate climbing higher this year.
‘Major news organizations have since linked the events of COVID-19 to increased illicit drug use and mortality. Politico reported on a White House drug policy office analysis showing that drug overdose deaths had risen 11.4% in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year. According to Politico, Kentucky saw a 25% increase in overdose deaths between January and March, while emergency medical system calls and emergency department visits related to overdoses also rose between March and June. West Virginia reported a 50% increase in emergency calls in May. The Washington Post similarly reported that suspected overdoses have steadily increased, from an 18% jump in March 2020 compared to March 2019 to a 42% increase in May 2020 compared to last May.’
Read here (AACC, Aug 20, 2020)
