Drug overdose deaths surged in the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said drug overdoses hit record levels in 2014, with over 47,000 deaths – a almost 7 percent increase in just one year.

In sheer numbers, California – the most populous state – had the most overdose deaths past year, with more than 4,500.

Increases in prescription opioid pain reliever and heroin deaths are the biggest driver of the drug overdose epidemic.

Forty-seven thousand people died from overdoses in 2014, mainly as a result of heroin and other opioids.

“The sharp increase in deaths involving synthetic opioids, other than methadone, in 2014 coincided with law enforcement reports of increased availability of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a synthetic opioid; however, illicitly manufactured fentanyl can not be distinguished from prescription fentanyl in death certificate data”, the report reads.

CDC Director Tom Frieden in the report pointed to an “alarming” surge in overdose deaths from 2013-a 14% increase was seen. The rate of deaths involving semi-synthetic opioids increased with 9 percent (813 more deaths) from 2013 to 2014.

“I am told to move and be active, but in order to be active many days, I need the additional help of my opioid medication that my dr. has prescribed”.

“Efforts to improve safer prescribing of prescription opioids must be intensified”, the CDC report stated.

These grim totals placed both OH and Kentucky among the five states with the highest rates of drug overdose deaths as measured per 100,000 residents.

10,574 individuals died from heroin, a 26 percent increase for the year. use in 2014 The CDC report said heroin overdoses. These departures were also on the upswing for the two genders, non-Hispanic whites and blacks, and adults aged 25 to 65. Past misuse of prescription opioids is the strongest risk factor for heroin initiation and use-especially among people who became dependent upon or abused prescription opioids in the past year.

The CDC released the overall tally last week. The agency this week released draft guidelines for family doctors, encouraging them to be more careful about prescribing opioids for chronic pain and urging the increased use of naloxone, an overdose antidote. It suggested public health agencies, medical examiners and coroners, and law-enforcement agencies work collaboratively to improve the detection of these outbreaks through improved investigation and testing.

“These findings indicate that the opioid overdose epidemic is worsening”.

The CDC is continuing to beat the drum about the dangers of opioid use.