Opioid crisis drives highest number of United States overdose deaths on record

The Obama administration is warning about a “drug overdose epidemic” around the country.

During 2014, a total of 47,055 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States, representing a 1-year increase of 6.5%, from 13.8 per 100,000 persons in 2013 to 14.7 per 100,000 persons in 2014. States with statistically significant increases in the rate of drug overdose deaths from 2013 to 2014 included Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The CDC said 61% of the deaths involved some type of opioid pain relievers and heroin. But combined with that steady increase was a jump in heroin overdoses – they tripled from 2010 to 2014. Many of these overdoses are believed to involve illicitly-made fentanyl, a short-acting opioid. Several studies have shown prescribed opioids often lead to the use of drugs like heroin.

Drug overdoses – particularly those from prescription opioid painkillers – has become a priority issue for the Atlanta-based CDC. Rose Rudd, also of the CDC, wrote that “these findings indicate that the opioid overdose epidemic is worsening”. “To control these tendencies and save lives, we have to assist in preventing dependency and offer support and treatment to individuals who have problems with opioid use disorders”.

The rate of drug overdose deaths increased significantly for both sexes, persons aged 25-44 years and ≥55 years, non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks, and in the Northeastern, Midwestern, and Southern regions of the United States. Before, the growing trend for overdose death was related to misuse and overuse of opioid.

Lower heroin prices, wider availability and higher purity are causing more overdoses, the agency reported.

The CDC points to a dramatic rise in pain reliever prescriptions; more than four times as many prescriptions are written for them today as in 1999. 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. By 2014, the most recent year available, the number was 9 deaths per 100,000 population.

“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”. In addition, some have also proposed expanded availability and wider access to naloxone-an antidote for opioid-related overdoses.