“These Are Numbers We Have Never Seen Before”: Drug Overdose Deaths Hit Record High During Pandemic
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
As the pandemic swept across the country, a record number of Americans died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in April 2021, according to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The more than 100,000 overdose deaths is nearly 30% higher than the 78,000 counted the year before – with much of the blame landing on the availability and potency of synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl – which is up to 50x more potent than heroin, according to Statista, which notes that the CDC has reported more than 60% of overdose deaths last year involved synthetic opioids.
“I believe that no one should die of an overdose simply because they didn’t have access to naloxone,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, adding “Sadly, today that is happening across the country, and access to naloxone often depends a great deal on where you live.”
“These are numbers we have never seen before,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, who noted that most of the fatalities were among those aged 25 to 55.