In 2016, 64,000 people died in the United States after taking drugs. a third is related to fentanyl.
The number of overdose deaths continues to rise in the United States. According to a report According to the CDC, drugs killed 64,000 people during 2016. The authorities recorded an increase of more than 22% compared to the 52,404 deaths counted in 2015. Overdoses are thus the leading cause of death among children under 50 years, the report says.
Fentanyl and its derivatives account for a significant portion of these deaths. The deadly epidemic that has broken out in North America does not seem to be showing any signs of slowing down, despite the warnings. On the contrary, the number of deaths attributable to them doubled between 2015 and 2016, reaching 21,405 in 2016 (compared to 9,945 the previous year). In 2014, the number of fentanyl-related deaths stood at 3,000. According to calculations by the New York Times, the increase in overdoses has been 540% over the past three years.
Drugs kill more than HIV
The year is also marked by a resumption of deaths by overdoses of cocaine and methamphetamine, while the trend was downward. In the end, all of these drugs kill more people than HIV in its darkest hours, experts warn.
The steepest increases were seen in Delaware, Florida and Maryland. A sign that the epidemic is not a “rural” phenomenon, as it has long been customary to think. In Maryland, in 2016, deaths alone exceeded those recorded in Kentucky and Maine.
Worsening in 2017
According to New York Times, the States have been forced to spend a significant part of their savings in taking charge of this serious problem. These States have thus had to strengthen access to care and the number of law enforcement personnel, implement programs to provide an antidote to opiate overdoses, Naloxone, but also manage the growing number of abandoned or orphaned children.
The American newspaper, which had access to the most recent data, indicates that the epidemic should continue to worsen in 2017. In March, the president declared a state of emergency. A special commission has been created to find solutions to curb this crisis. Recommendations have been drawn up but to date, the administration has not taken any concrete action.
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