America surpasses 100,000 drug overdose deaths in just one year

Drug overdose deaths in America exceeded 100,000 in the twelve-month period ending last April, which constitutes an unprecedented figure, according to official data.

According to interim data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were an estimated 100,306 overdose deaths nationwide during those twelve months, compared with the 78,056 reported during the same period the previous year, which represents an increase of 28.5%.

Synthetic opiates, especially fentanyl, continued to be the main reason for deaths from overdosesis, since they caused almost two-thirds (64%) of all those deaths, which means an increase of 49% compared to the previous year.

The CDC indicates that fentanyl is 50 times stronger than morphine and heroin, and is often sold illegally for having effects similar to those of heroin. These figures show that deaths from overdoses of methamphetamine and other psychostimulants also grew significantly, 48% more in the year ending April 2021 compared to the previous year. Deaths from cocaine and prescription painkillers were also up from a year earlier, but not as drastically.

After knowing these data, the American president, Joe Biden, pledged in a statement to “do everything in its power to address addictionis and end the drug overdose epidemic. “

“We are strengthening prevention, promoting harm reduction, expanding treatment and supporting people in recovery, as well as reducing the supply of harmful substances in our communities. And we won’t stop, “Biden said.

The president stressed that his Administration has allocated 4 billion dollars through the American Rescue Plan – the 1.9 billion stimulus package approved by Congress last March – to strengthen and expand services for substance use disorder. and mental health.