Deadly overdoses fell in U.S. for first time in five years, new estimates show
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Deadly overdoses fell in U.S. for first time in five years, new estimates show

LA Times  

Deaths from drug overdoses fell last year in the United States as fewer people lost their lives to fentanyl and other opioids, marking the first time the death toll had dropped in five years, according to newly released estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I’m thrilled that there wasn’t an increase, but we’re still talking about 107,000 people dying, which is completely unacceptable,” said Beau Kilmer, co-director of the Rand Drug Policy Research Center. We don’t see the 22-year-old who says, ‘Hey, I want to use fentanyl.’ This is an aging cohort.” Even as U.S. deaths linked to fentanyl and other opioids dropped between 2022 and 2023, the country saw an uptick in deaths tied to stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine, according to the new estimates. “The massive investment in reducing overdose deaths has been almost exclusively targeted to opioids,” said Steven Shoptaw, director of the UCLA Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine.

Deaths West Fentanyl Overdose Overdoses Burke Overdose Deaths Methamphetamine Drug Overdoses Fewer People Shover Drug Researchers  fell  west  deadly  opioids  deaths  drug  researchers  methamphetamine  overdose  overdoses  estimates  fentanyl  drugs

History of this topic

Drug overdose deaths plummet in San Francisco. What’s changed?
3 months ago

Drug overdose deaths plummet in San Francisco. What’s changed?

LA Times  

After surging during the COVID pandemic into a crushing public health emergency, drug overdose deaths in San Francisco plummeted in 2024, according to preliminary data compiled by city health officials. San Francisco public health experts attributed the decline in fatal drug use in the city to the widespread availability of naloxone, a medication commonly sold under the brand name Narcan …

'Historic' drop in U.S. overdose deaths accelerates as fentanyl crisis eases
4 months, 2 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
4 months, 2 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 …

US overdose deaths continue downward trend, giving experts hope
4 months, 3 weeks ago

US overdose deaths continue downward trend, giving experts hope

Al Jazeera  

Experts aren’t sure what is causing fewer overdose deaths, but they are hopeful the decline is sustainable. Drug overdose deaths in the United States appear to continue to decline, giving experts hope that the nation is seeing sustained improvement in what remains an epidemic. Some 97,000 people died of a drug overdose in the 12-month period that ended June 30, …

Drug overdose deaths may be decreasing — but not for everyone
5 months, 4 weeks 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
6 months, 2 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 …

Drug overdose deaths continue to climb as advocates slam 'deplorable' government inaction
7 months, 1 week ago

Drug overdose deaths continue to climb as advocates slam 'deplorable' government inaction

ABC  

When police knocked on Jen Furby's door one night in May 2022, she secretly hoped it was because her daughter had been arrested — because that meant she was still safe. Sobering statistics Jen is now telling her family's story for the first time, as a new report reveals the annual number of drug overdose deaths in Australia has almost …

Deaths from drug overdoses plateaued in L.A. County in 2023 after years of increases
8 months, 1 week ago

Deaths from drug overdoses plateaued in L.A. County in 2023 after years of increases

LA Times  

Sandra Mims, a community health worker with Community Health Project L.A., puts out boxes of naloxone spray during an event at MacArthur Park. Deaths from drug overdoses and poisoning reached a plateau last year in Los Angeles County — the first time in a decade that such fatalities had not continued a year-over-year rise, public health officials said. Across L.A. …

Report shows a drop in drug overdose deaths in Kentucky but governor says the fight is far from over
9 months, 3 weeks 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
10 months, 2 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 …

Fewer US overdose deaths were reported last year, but experts say it's too soon to celebrate
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Fewer US overdose deaths were reported last year, but experts say it's too soon to celebrate

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. CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deb Houry called the …

Drug overdose deaths in the US decreased in 2023, for the first time in five years
10 months, 2 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
10 months, 2 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, …

Drug overdoses reach another record with almost 108,000 Americans in 2022, CDC says
1 year ago

Drug overdoses reach another record with almost 108,000 Americans in 2022, CDC says

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. Over the last two decades, the number of U.S. …

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds
1 year, 1 month 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 …

Smoking drugs now linked to more overdose deaths than injecting drugs, report finds
1 year, 1 month ago

Smoking drugs now linked to more overdose deaths than injecting drugs, report finds

CNN  

CNN — The percentage of overdose deaths linked to smoking drugs rose sharply in recent years, overtaking injection as the leading route of drug use involved in such deaths, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, published Thursday, looked at information from crime scene investigations, witness reports and autopsy data and …

‘It’s absolutely heartbreaking’: Fentanyl is officially Los Angeles County’s deadliest drug
1 year, 3 months ago

‘It’s absolutely heartbreaking’: Fentanyl is officially Los Angeles County’s deadliest drug

LA Times  

In 2022, fentanyl was linked to more overdose deaths in L.A. County than meth for the first time in recent years. “It’s absolutely heartbreaking,” said Amanda Cowan, executive director of Community Health Project Los Angeles, which provides services to people who use drugs. “In the case of race/ethnicity, Black people account for 8% of the population, and disproportionately accounted for …

Decriminalizing drugs in Oregon and Washington isn't associated with overdose increases, study finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Decriminalizing drugs in Oregon and Washington isn't associated with overdose increases, study finds

Salon  

In 2020, Oregon voters passed Measure 110, a law decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of controlled substances like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Between 2020 and 2021, overdose deaths did increase in Oregon and Washington with some apparent missteps in the rollout of decriminalization programs: An audit of Oregon's program released in January 2023 found the legislation was vague in …

Stimulants may be driving a "fourth wave" of the overdose crisis, with deaths at an all-time high
1 year, 6 months ago

Stimulants may be driving a "fourth wave" of the overdose crisis, with deaths at an all-time high

Salon  

Earlier this week, Stephen Murray got a call on the Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline, where responders stay on the phone with people using drugs in case they overdose so they can call emergency services. In the early 2000s, overdose deaths were driven primarily by prescription opioid use in the first "wave" of the crisis. Instead, the driver may be a …

Drug overdoses seem to spike in spite of police seizures: Study
1 year, 9 months ago

Drug overdoses seem to spike in spite of police seizures: Study

Salon  

Since 1999, nearly one million Americans have died from a drug overdose, with a majority of those deaths driven by synthetic opioids. "I particularly feel so deeply for families who, in their grief, are told that this type of criminalization — charging someone with a murder for their loved one's death — will prevent this from happening to someone else," …

Drug overdoses in the US slightly increased last year. But experts see hopeful signs
1 year, 10 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, 11 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 …

FDA advisers vote in favor of making opioid overdose antidote available over the counter
2 years, 1 month 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 …

Drug overdose deaths fall in 2023 for 1st time since pandemic began: CDC
2 years, 2 months ago

Drug overdose deaths fall in 2023 for 1st time since pandemic began: CDC

ABC News  

Rates of drug overdose deaths decreased in the United States for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to new federal data published early Thursday. Rate per 100,000 people National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, mortality data file Dr. Magadlena Cerdá, a professor in the department of population health and director of the center for …

Drug overdose deaths fell in 2023, 1st decrease in 5 years: CDC
2 years, 2 months ago

Drug overdose deaths fell in 2023, 1st decrease in 5 years: CDC

ABC News  

Oxycodone pain pills prescribed for a patient with chronic pain in Norwich, Connecticut, March 23, 2016. Communities nationwide are struggling with the unprecedented opioid pain pill and heroin addiction epidemic. Drug overdose deaths fell in 2023, marking the first decrease in five years, new provisional federal data published Wednesday showed. This is a 3% decrease from the estimated 111,029 overdose …

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary
2 years, 4 months 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, 4 months 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, 5 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 …

Middle-class drug users fuel soaring number of cocaine deaths
2 years, 8 months ago

Middle-class drug users fuel soaring number of cocaine deaths

The Telegraph  

Cocaine deaths have risen sevenfold in a decade, with middle-class drug users fuelling the crisis, new statistics have suggested. However, the ONS also found that there were 840 deaths involving cocaine registered in 2021, which was 8.1 per cent higher than the previous year and more than seven times higher than in 2011. It has become more normalised.” Drug support …

Death rates from drug overdoses hit historic highs in 2020
2 years, 8 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 …

Relaxed methadone rules appear safe, researchers find
2 years, 8 months ago

Relaxed methadone rules appear safe, researchers find

Associated Press  

As the coronavirus pandemic shut down the nation in March of 2020, the U.S. government told methadone clinics they could allow stable patients with opioid addiction to take their medicine at home unsupervised. The share of overdose deaths involving methadone declined from 4.5% in January 2019 to 3.2% in August 2021, the study found. Dr. Neeraj Gandotra, chief medical officer …

Colorado’s drop in life expectancy blamed on COVID, drugs
2 years, 9 months ago

Colorado’s drop in life expectancy blamed on COVID, drugs

Associated Press  

DENVER — Life expectancy dropped in Colorado for the second straight year in 2021. Both communities entered the pandemic with “longstanding pre-existing health disparities that made them especially vulnerable to more severe COVID illness and death,” said Michelle Sarche, a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health and Department of Community …

California advances bid to create legal drug injection sites
2 years, 9 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, 9 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, 10 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, 10 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, 10 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, 10 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 …

Black Americans are now dying from drug overdoses at a higher rate than whites
3 years, 1 month ago

Black Americans are now dying from drug overdoses at a higher rate than whites

NPR  

Black Americans are now dying from drug overdoses at a higher rate than whites Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images When the first phase of the opioid epidemic was cresting in 2010, driven largely by prescription pain medications, white Americans were dying of fatal drug overdoses at rates twice that of Black Americans. "Overdose rates …

New data show US drug epidemic is deadlier than ever, but preventing overdoses is an uphill battle
3 years, 1 month ago

New data show US drug epidemic is deadlier than ever, but preventing overdoses is an uphill battle

CNN  

CNN — Drug overdose deaths have doubled over the past six years, soaring in recent months amid the Covid-19 pandemic and continued rise of fentanyl. And it’s not like they turn off overnight,” said Katherine Keyes, an associate professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health whose research focuses on psychiatric and substance use epidemiology. Programs like syringe …

US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say
3 years, 4 months 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. …

How drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in one year
3 years, 4 months ago

How drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in one year

LA Times  

A law enforcement officer stands in front of an enlarged photograph showing bags of counterfeit fentanyl pills during a news conference in May. The Times spoke to Sam Quinones, who chronicled the drug trade in the 2015 book “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic,” and most recently explored the evolution of the epidemic in his new book “The …

Drug overdose deaths hit record high in US as synthetic opioids and pandemic wreak havoc
3 years, 4 months ago

Drug overdose deaths hit record high in US as synthetic opioids and pandemic wreak havoc

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 Drug overdose deaths in …

US drug overdose deaths top 100,000 in one year in 28.5% increase
3 years, 4 months 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, 4 months 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 …

As overdose rates reach record highs, it’s time to reimagine American drug policy
3 years, 4 months ago

As overdose rates reach record highs, it’s time to reimagine American drug policy

Salon  

While Americans were paralyzed by the global pandemic, a second killer was quietly taking lives: drug overdose. In May, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced it would be distributing $3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding — "the largest aggregate amount of funding to date for its mental health and substance use block grant programs." To fight …

DEA warns of sharp increase in fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl and meth
3 years, 6 months ago

DEA warns of sharp increase in fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl and meth

CNN  

CNN — The US Drug Enforcement Administration on Monday issued a public safety alert about a sharp increase of fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine. In a news release, the agency said DEA lab tests revealed there has also been a dramatic rise in pills containing at least 2 milligrams of the drug, which is considered a lethal …

Methamphetamine Deaths Soar, Hitting Black And Native Americans Especially Hard
3 years, 6 months ago

Methamphetamine Deaths Soar, Hitting Black And Native Americans Especially Hard

NPR  

Methamphetamine Deaths Soar, Hitting Black And Native Americans Especially Hard Enlarge this image toggle caption Tulare County Sheriff's Office via AP Tulare County Sheriff's Office via AP When Winnie White Tail convened a new session of inpatient substance use treatment last month for members of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes, she found that roughly half her clients were struggling with …

Drug overdose deaths reach an all-time high in US amid coronavirus pandemic
3 years, 8 months ago

Drug overdose deaths reach an all-time high in US amid coronavirus pandemic

CNN  

CNN — “I just screamed and cried. “It’s terrible news,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a former deputy commission at the US Food and Drug Administration. Elazer was released from prison “smack dab in the middle of Covid,” his sister said, and despite the national …

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