Drug overdose deaths on pace for record year during coronavirus pandemic, CDC says
The United States is on track to reach another grim milestone during the coronavirus pandemic, data show.
The country saw an increase in fatal drug overdoses in the first months of 2020, putting it on pace to hit a new all-time record, according to preliminary figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From January to March, data show 19,416 people died from drug overdoses. That’s almost 3,000 more than in the same quarter last year.
Also in the 12-month span leading up to March 2020, health officials say the country saw more deadly drug overdoses compared to the same time period before March 2019. That year, the death toll rose to a record peak of almost 72,000, The New York Times reported.
With an uptick in fatal overdoses, the CDC estimates the country had 75,500 drug-related deaths from March 2019 to March 2020.
While the figures are for deaths related to all drugs, health experts have warned of the potential for setbacks in the fight against opioids during COVID-19, McClatchy News reported.
Coronavirus-related isolation may keep people who are addicted to the painkillers away from their support networks and in-person treatment options, according to experts. Also, some have also cautioned the stress of the pandemic is leading people to try to cope with drugs, McClatchy reported in May.
The American Medical Association earlier this month said it was concerned about recent media reports indicating rising fatalities, especially those related to the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
“More than 40 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality as well as ongoing concerns for those with a mental illness or substance use disorder,” the group said.
The CDC has not yet released data about drug-related deaths for the rest of the pandemic since March, but experts worry the preliminary report could mean the upward trend may have continued.
“Every indication we have in terms of stress, in terms of surveys about increasing [drug] use during the pandemic, basically everything is pointed in the wrong direction,” Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in August, according to NPR.
The AMA said there’s a “need to remove barriers to evidence-based treatment for those with a substance use disorder as well as for harm reduction services, including sterile needle and syringe services and naloxone,” which is used to reverse opioid overdoses.
During the pandemic, drug treatment centers also have tried to combat drug use with remote treatment sessions, which clients have given mixed reviews, McClatchy News reported.
This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 9:02 AM with the headline "Drug overdose deaths on pace for record year during coronavirus pandemic, CDC says."
