Most US opioid overdose deaths accidental, 4% are suicide
5 years ago

Most US opioid overdose deaths accidental, 4% are suicide

Associated Press  

Accidental overdoses cause 90% of all U.S. opioid-related deaths while suicides account for far fewer of these fatalities than previously thought, a new analysis published Tuesday suggests. By contrast, a 2018 article in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that at least 20% to 30% of those deaths are suicides That estimate came from a review of studies and emergency department data, less accurate than death certificates, said Dr. Mark Olfson, a Columbia University psychiatrist and co-author of the new analysis. Suicides and opioid overdoses have sometimes been lumped together as “deaths of despair” that have contributed to recent decline in U.S. life expectancy. But, said Olfson, “The new findings indicate that opioid overdose and suicide are not as strongly tied as we had imagined.” Guns, not overdoses, are the leading method of suicide in the United States.

Death Deaths Suicide Suicides Opioid Overdose Olfson  accidental  opioidrelated  suicide  suicides  death  department  deaths  overdoses  medical  olfson  opioid  overdose

History of this topic

Canada records almost 50,000 deaths from fentanyl since 2016
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Canada records almost 50,000 deaths from fentanyl since 2016

Al Jazeera  

The highly addictive opioid is behind an increasing number of deaths in Canada, according to the government. Fentanyl is increasingly behind opioid overdose deaths in Canada, according to new government data. The national health agency on Monday reported that nearly 50,000 people in the North American country died from opioid overdose deaths from January 2016 to June 2024. Canada’s government …

Is America’s opioid epidemic finally burning out?
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Is America’s opioid epidemic finally burning out?

Hindustan Times  

Standing in the bitter cold outside the DeCoach Recovery Centre, a drug treatment clinic on the edge of an ocean of car parking in Hamilton, Ohio, Scott Weaver explains where his life went off track. “People will tell you it don’t because they don’t want to take it, ‘cause they ain’t done yet.” Mr Weaver’s story reflects America’s opioid crisis. …

How a fentanyl epidemic, killing 200 Americans a day, has gripped US
1 month, 1 week ago

How a fentanyl epidemic, killing 200 Americans a day, has gripped US

India Today  

The United States is in the grip of a fentanyl epidemic. WHAT'S CHINA'S ROLE IN THE FENTANYL CRISIS IN US The US Drug Enforcement Administration has identified China as the "main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States". Fentanyl first appeared in the US in the 1970s under the name "China White", and its use surged in …

'Historic' drop in U.S. overdose deaths accelerates as fentanyl crisis eases
1 month, 3 weeks ago

'Historic' drop in U.S. overdose deaths accelerates as fentanyl crisis eases

NPR  

'Historic' drop in U.S. overdose deaths accelerates as fentanyl crisis eases toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America Street drug deaths in the U.S. are dropping at the fastest rate ever seen, according to a new report issued on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health officials say the drop translates into more than 16,000 lives …

US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline
1 month, 3 weeks ago

US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths appears to have continued this year, giving experts hope the nation is seeing sustained improvement in the persistent epidemic. There were about 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday. “This is a pretty stunning …

Drug overdose deaths may be decreasing — but not for everyone
3 months ago

Drug overdose deaths may be decreasing — but not for everyone

Salon  

Late last month, news outlets reported that drug overdose deaths across the country were "falling fast," in a “promising” trend that is “saving thousands of lives — But many people working on the ground in harm reduction spaces say the national trend does not align with what they are seeing as they continue to watch people who use drugs in …

US overdoses have fallen sharply in recent months, a hopeful shift in trends
3 months, 3 weeks ago

US overdoses have fallen sharply in recent months, a hopeful shift in trends

CNN  

CNN — Federal data shows that overdose deaths in the United States are the lowest they’ve been in three years, and a new analysis suggests that some downward trends indicate “unprecedented” progress in the fight against the drug epidemic. “I think also it’s important to note that there are still more people dying from overdose than before the pandemic, and …

Global suicide report reveals where rates are highest... as US makes shocking entry
5 months, 1 week ago

Global suicide report reveals where rates are highest... as US makes shocking entry

Daily Mail  

The United States has the sixth-highest suicide rate in the world, a grim ranking that comes amid a decades-long rise in suicides over the past three decades. The US suicide rate came to 14.1 deaths per 100,000 people, considerably lower than South Korea’s 24.1 suicides per capita, though quite a bit higher than Australia and Croatia’s 12.4 deaths per capita. …

Report shows a drop in drug overdose deaths in Kentucky but governor says the fight is far from over
7 months ago

Report shows a drop in drug overdose deaths in Kentucky but governor says the fight is far from over

Associated Press  

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Drug overdose deaths in Kentucky fell nearly 10% in 2023, marking a second straight annual decline in the fight against an addiction epidemic that’s far from over, Gov. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell — who has steered huge sums of federal funding to his home state to combat its addiction woes — said the report is a …

Fewer US overdose deaths were reported last year, but experts are still cautious
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Fewer US overdose deaths were reported last year, but experts are still cautious

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The number of U.S. fatal overdoses fell last year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted Wednesday. CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deb Houry called the dip “heartening news” and praised efforts to reduce the tally, but she noted “there are still families and friends losing their loved ones to drug overdoses at staggering …

Drug overdose deaths in the US decreased in 2023, for the first time in five years
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Drug overdose deaths in the US decreased in 2023, for the first time in five years

CNN  

CNN — After a steep rise during the Covid-19 pandemic, preliminary data shows that drug overdose deaths in the United States ticked down in 2023 for the first time in five years. “This progress over the last 12 months should make us want to reinvigorate our efforts knowing that our strategies are making a difference,” CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. …

U.S. drug deaths declined slightly in 2023 but remained at crisis levels
7 months, 3 weeks ago

U.S. drug deaths declined slightly in 2023 but remained at crisis levels

NPR  

U.S. drug deaths declined slightly in 2023 but remained at crisis levels Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah/AP U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah/AP Updated Wednesday May 15 at 1:25 p.m. In a statement released last week as part of the U.S. National Drug Threat Assessment for 2024, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Anne Milgram, …

At least 9 dead, dozens treated in Texas capital after spike in opioid overdoses
8 months, 1 week ago

At least 9 dead, dozens treated in Texas capital after spike in opioid overdoses

Hindustan Times  

Authorities in Texas are investigating at least nine deaths this week in connection with an unusual spike of opioid overdoses in Austin that health officials are calling the city's worst overdose outbreak in nearly a decade. Preliminary testing showed that all nine people who died had traces of fentanyl in their system and the majority had other drugs present too …

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds
10 months, 3 weeks ago

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Smoking has surpassed injecting as the most common way of taking drugs in U.S. overdose deaths, a new government study suggests. Some early research has suggested that smoking fentanyl is somewhat less deadly than injecting it, and any reduction in injection-related overdose deaths is a positive, said the study’s lead author, Lauren Tanz. But “both injection and …

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds
10 months, 3 weeks ago

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Smoking has surpassed injecting as …

What's fentanyl, the opioid at the centre of Biden-Xi talks, which led to 70,000 deaths in US?
1 year, 1 month ago

What's fentanyl, the opioid at the centre of Biden-Xi talks, which led to 70,000 deaths in US?

Firstpost  

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more so than heroin. On the sidelines of the APEC Summit, US leader Biden and China’s Xi Jinping agreed that Beijing would take action to stop the influx of fentanyl, that killed 70,000 people in the US last year On Wednesday, US president Joe …

Report on overdoses shows opioids remain a leading factor in accidental drug deaths in Australia
1 year, 4 months ago

Report on overdoses shows opioids remain a leading factor in accidental drug deaths in Australia

ABC  

In short: The Annual Overdose Report shows 1,675 Australians died from unintentional drug overdoses in 2021 The Annual Overdose Report shows 1,675 Australians died from unintentional drug overdoses in 2021 What's next? The public health organisation that produced the report, the Penington Institute, says drug-induced deaths are a crisis requiring greater action from government Accidental fatal overdoses in Australia continue …

US suicides hit an all-time high last year
1 year, 4 months ago

US suicides hit an all-time high last year

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday. The number should not be going up,” said Christina Wilbur, a 45-year-old Florida woman whose son shot himself to death last year. A recent Johns Hopkins University analysis used preliminary 2022 data to calculate …

U.S. suicides hit an all-time high last year, the CDC reports
1 year, 4 months ago

U.S. suicides hit an all-time high last year, the CDC reports

LA Times  

Data suggest suicides are more common in the U.S. than at any time since the dawn of World War II. About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which posted the numbers, has not yet calculated a suicide …

Drug overdoses in the US slightly increased last year. But experts see hopeful signs
1 year, 7 months ago

Drug overdoses in the US slightly increased last year. But experts see hopeful signs

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. went up slightly last year after two big leaps during the pandemic. We shouldn’t suggest the crisis is in any way over.” An estimated 109,680 overdose deaths occurred last year, according to numbers posted Wednesday by the CDC. Plus, the stigma that kept drug users from seeking help — and some …

Total overdose: Drug-related deaths in San Francisco up by 41% in three months
1 year, 8 months ago

Total overdose: Drug-related deaths in San Francisco up by 41% in three months

Firstpost  

200 persons died of overdoses in the city in the last three months, up from 142 in the same period last year Drug-related deaths in San Francisco have increased by 41 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, with one person dying of an accidental overdose every 10 hours, reported The Guardian. According to the reports by San Francisco’s …

Suicides jump 4% to become one of top 10 leading causes of death in US
1 year, 8 months ago

Suicides jump 4% to become one of top 10 leading causes of death in US

Daily Mail  

Rates of suicides in the US rose in 2021 after enjoying a dip for two years, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. After increasing between 2001 and 2018, the age-adjusted suicide rate declined for two years through 2020 and then increased to about 14/100k in 2021 While those rates were lowest for young females aged …

FDA advisers vote in favor of making opioid overdose antidote available over the counter
1 year, 10 months ago

FDA advisers vote in favor of making opioid overdose antidote available over the counter

CNN  

CNN — If the US Food and Drug Administration gives the go-ahead, a nasal spray version of the opioid overdose antidote Narcan may soon be sold in vending machines, big box stores, grocery stores and gas stations across the country. “I’ve lost patients over the years and have watched as many families have been devastated by this rising, worsening and …

Maine sets another record for overdose deaths, report says
1 year, 11 months ago

Maine sets another record for overdose deaths, report says

Associated Press  

AUGUSTA, Maine — More than 700 people died from drug overdoses last year in Maine, setting the third straight record, officials said. A report by the attorney general’s office Thursday notes there were 716 suspected or confirmed drug overdose deaths in 2022, compared to 636 deaths the year before and 504 deaths in 2020. In her budget proposal, Mills proposed …

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary
2 years, 1 month ago

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Have U.S. drug overdose deaths stopped rising? U.S. overdose death rates began steadily climbing in the 1990s driven by opioid painkillers, followed by waves of deaths led by other opioids like heroin and — most recently — illicit fentanyl. “Today’s data continue to show a hopeful trend of a decrease in overdose deaths,” but more prevention and …

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary
2 years, 1 month ago

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. U.S. overdose death rates began steadily climbing in the …

America's drug crisis laid bare: CDC maps shows fatal overdoses have risen in all but EIGHT states
2 years, 2 months ago

America's drug crisis laid bare: CDC maps shows fatal overdoses have risen in all but EIGHT states

Daily Mail  

Fatal drug overdoses have risen in all but eight US states in the past year, according to official data that lays bare America's drug crisis. Alaska has seen by far the biggest percentage increase in drug overdose deaths between April 2021 and April 2022, rising by 44 per cent. The total count looks like it is coming down, but the …

Opioid crisis costs US $1.5TRILLION in 2020 as fentanyl use rocketed during the pandemic
2 years, 3 months ago

Opioid crisis costs US $1.5TRILLION in 2020 as fentanyl use rocketed during the pandemic

Daily Mail  

The devastating opioid epidemic in the US has cost the government nearly $1.5trillion in 2020 alone after being exacerbated by the Covid pandemic and rise of fentanyl, new figures show. In Wisconsin, for instance, synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, were identified in 91 per cent of opioid overdose deaths and 73 per cent of all drug overdose deaths over the last …

Death rates from drug overdoses hit historic highs in 2020
2 years, 5 months ago

Death rates from drug overdoses hit historic highs in 2020

Daily Mail  

Drug overdose deaths among black and indigenous Americans spiked in 2020 — with a total of 2,400 more being recorded during the first year of Covid compared to the previous 12 months. The report confirms previously published papers, which also showed a spike in drug overdose deaths among Black Americans during the first year of the pandemic. Drug overdose deaths …

Lessons from America’s mass popping of opioids
2 years, 6 months ago

Lessons from America’s mass popping of opioids

Live Mint  

The deadliest drug epidemic in US history did not involve peddlers, gangsters or smugglers, but painkillers. Between 2006 and 2014, a single county in West Virginia was supplied with over 127 million prescription opioid pills—142 pills a year for every person—that fed an opioid-addiction crisis that is still playing out. On Monday, a federal judge dismissed charges against America’s three …

Nine people dead, 10 hospitalized after fentanyl overdoses in Florida
2 years, 6 months ago

Nine people dead, 10 hospitalized after fentanyl overdoses in Florida

Daily Mail  

Nine people died - including five in 24 hours - and several others were hospitalized over the holiday weekend from suspected fentanyl overdoses in a rural Florida county. At least 19 people overdosed over the holiday weekend, leaving nine people dead, four in cardiac arrest and six others have been hospitalized and intubed in Gadsden County, according to the Tallahassee …

California advances bid to create legal drug injection sites
2 years, 6 months ago

California advances bid to create legal drug injection sites

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Assembly on Thursday approved a controversial bill allowing Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco to set up places where opioid users could legally inject drugs in supervised settings. New York City in December opened the first two publicly recognized overdose prevention sites in the United States, intervening in more than 150 overdoses, although its operation …

Report: Drug overdose deaths up again in Virginia in 2021
2 years, 7 months ago

Report: Drug overdose deaths up again in Virginia in 2021

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — The number of Virginia drug overdose deaths rose again in 2021, setting a record for a second year in a row, according to a state report. Overdose deaths increased 15% in 2021 from the previous year, to 2,656, The Virginian-Pilot reported Saturday, citing the report from the Virginia Department of Health. The powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl was …

Record 108,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2021, CDC reports
2 years, 7 months ago

Record 108,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2021, CDC reports

Daily Mail  

Deaths from drug overdoses in the U.S. hit their highest level since records began last year, provisional figures showed Wednesday — with opioids including fentanyl behind nearly three in five fatalities. It reveals figures have now reached a record high, and are surging on the last three years ‹ Slide me › The above map shows the rate of drug …

US overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
2 years, 7 months ago

US overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday. Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called the latest numbers “truly staggering.” The White House issued a statement calling the accelerating pace of …

U.S. overdose deaths reached a record 107,000 last year, CDC says
2 years, 7 months ago

U.S. overdose deaths reached a record 107,000 last year, CDC says

LA Times  

Deb Walker visits the grave of her daughter, Brooke Goodwin, in December in Chester, Vt. Goodwin, 23, died in March 2021 of a fatal overdose of fentanyl and xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that is making its way into the illicit drug supply. More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating …

Overdose deaths in US hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
2 years, 7 months ago

Overdose deaths in US hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says

Al Jazeera  

With opioid epidemic still rising, tragic milestone translates into one death from drug abuse every five minutes in US. More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated on Wednesday. The White House issued a statement calling the accelerating pace …

Teen fentanyl overdose deaths tripled in last three years, study finds
2 years, 8 months ago

Teen fentanyl overdose deaths tripled in last three years, study finds

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Teen overdose deaths in …

Suicides By Drug Overdose Have Increased Among Young Americans
2 years, 11 months ago

Suicides By Drug Overdose Have Increased Among Young Americans

Huff Post  

Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images A new study found that while overdose suicide deaths are decreasing overall, there are a few populations in which those deaths are increasing. Bucking the overall downward trend, intentional overdose deaths increased among teens and young adults ages 15 to 24. While there’s no concrete data yet on how the pandemic has affected these numbers, …

US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say
3 years, 1 month ago

US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year, a never-before-seen milestone that health officials say is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply. “It’s a magnitude of overdose death that we haven’t seen in this country.” Drug overdoses now surpass deaths from car crashes, guns and even flu and pneumonia. …

US drug overdose deaths top 100,000 in one year in 28.5% increase
3 years, 1 month ago

US drug overdose deaths top 100,000 in one year in 28.5% increase

Al Jazeera  

US CDC figures show most fatal overdoses – at least 64,000 – are due to synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. More than 100,000 people have died from drug overdoses in the United States during the 12-month period ending April 2021, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown – an almost 30 percent uptick in fatalities …

U.S. drug overdose deaths top 100,000 in a year for the first time, officials say
3 years, 1 month ago

U.S. drug overdose deaths top 100,000 in a year for the first time, officials say

LA Times  

Travis Gustavson, right, in a family photo with Carter Lange, from left, Kim Gustavson, Jason Lange and Matthew Gustavson. U.S. drug overdose deaths top 100,000 in a year for the first time, officials say An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year, a never-before-seen milestone that health officials say is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a …

US overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year
3 years, 5 months ago

US overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government reported Wednesday. That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths reached the previous year and amounts to a 29% increase. Methamphetamine is contaminated.” Fentanyl was involved in more than 60% of the overdose deaths …

U.S. overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year, a 29% increase
3 years, 5 months ago

U.S. overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year, a 29% increase

LA Times  

Sharon Rivera tends to flowers and other items left at the grave of her daughter, Victoria, at Calvary Cemetery in New York, on Mother’s Day last year. Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government reported Wednesday. That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths …

‘Staggering loss’: Overdose deaths spike in US during pandemic
3 years, 5 months ago

‘Staggering loss’: Overdose deaths spike in US during pandemic

Al Jazeera  

The US was already fighting a serious opioid epidemic; the pandemic exacerbated the crisis, new statistics show. Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States government reported on Wednesday. That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths reached the previous year and amounts to a 29 percent increase. …

Drug Overdoses Killed A Record Number Of Americans In 2020, Jumping By Nearly 30%
3 years, 5 months ago

Drug Overdoses Killed A Record Number Of Americans In 2020, Jumping By Nearly 30%

NPR  

Drug Overdoses Killed A Record Number Of Americans In 2020, Jumping By Nearly 30% Enlarge this image toggle caption Kathy Willens/AP Kathy Willens/AP More than 93,000 people died of a drug overdose in the U.S. last year — a record number that reflects a rise of nearly 30% from 2019, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease …

US suicide rate fell last year after decade of steady rise
4 years, 2 months ago

US suicide rate fell last year after decade of steady rise

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The U.S. suicide rate fell slightly last year, the first annual decline in more than a decade, according to new government data. It’s a small decrease and the data is preliminary, but the decline is “really exciting,” said Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. When all that is factored together, …

Opioids: Illicit use tied to higher risk of death from these causes
5 years ago

Opioids: Illicit use tied to higher risk of death from these causes

CNN  

CNN — People using illicit opioids are not only at an increased risk of a drug-related death, but a new study finds they have an elevated risk of dying from noncommunicable diseases, infectious diseases, suicide and unintentional injuries. “People might be surprised that although overdose was the most common cause of death, it’s far from the only cause of death …

There are fewer suicides related to opioids than previously believed, research says
5 years ago

There are fewer suicides related to opioids than previously believed, research says

CNN  

CNN — Since 1999, significant increases in US suicide rates have paralleled increases in drug overdoses from opioids. The percent of opioid-related suicides actually fell in recent years, dropping from 9% in 2000 to 4% in 2017, according to a research letter published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA. “It gives you a very different picture of the role of …

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