The total number of deaths linked to drug overdose has doubled since 2000 and has increased 14% from 2013 to 2014.
Advertisement
Deaths from drug overdose has reached record high levels in 2014 with 47,055 people died from drug overdoses in America previous year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention latest report.
“Rates of opioid overdose deaths also increased significantly, from 7.9 per 100,000 in 2013 to 9.0 per 100,000 in 2014, a 14% increase”.
According to Dr. Tom Frieden, CDC director, the increased death rates due to opioid overdose is now alarming and it continues to create damage to communities and families in the United States.
Expand access to evidence-based substance use disorder treatment-including Medication-Assisted Treatment-for people who suffer from opioid use disorder.
The United States is experiencing an epidemic of drug overdose (poisoning) deaths. These departures were also on the upswing for the two genders, non-Hispanic whites and blacks, and adults aged 25 to 65. Deaths attributable to these drugs rose by nine percent from 2013 to 2014.
10,574 individuals died from heroin, a 26 percent increase for the year. use in 2014 The CDC report said heroin overdoses.
“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”, the report stated.
That’s almost one death every three hours past year.
Drug overdoses have killed nearly half a million people in the United States from 2000 to 2014, and the rate of opioid overdoses has tripled since 2000. CDC believes that the health professionals must be equipped with more resources and tools, as well as be more capable to give better prescription guidelines, to help patients make more informed decisions. The increased availability of heroin, its relatively low price (compared to prescription opioids), and high purity appear to be major drivers of the upward trend in heroin use, overdoses, and deaths. This drug has shown to reverse symptoms associated with opioid overdose.
The areas, including Northeast, Midwest and South, have seen a high increase in death rates.
Advertisement
“Efforts to improve safer prescribing of prescription opioids must be intensified”.
