Official data on Wednesday showed that the number of deaths from drug overdose in the United States soared to a record 93,000 in 2020, mainly due to the increased use of opioids during the pandemic.
Provisional statistics from the National Vital Statistics System of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that in the 12 months ending December 2020, the number of deaths was 93,331, a record high, an increase of 29.4% over the previous year.
Opioids, mainly illicitly manufactured fentanyl, caused 69,710 deaths-a trend consistent with the past few years.
The number of deaths involving psychostimulants with abuse potential (such as methamphetamine) has also increased.
The death toll is on the rise in almost all states, with Vermont, Kentucky, South Carolina, West Virginia and California experiencing the largest increases in death tolls.
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According to a recent report by the Well Being Trust, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a lot of increased stress, including economic hardship, social isolation, and the disruption of schools and healthcare.
Robert Redfield, the former director of the CDC, said in December that people with substance use disorders have been hit particularly hard by interruptions in daily life, and that the agency is working with states to develop prevention and treatment strategies.
Since 1999, more than half a million Americans have died from opioid overdose-both prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Corporate drugmakers such as Purdue Pharma have been criminally charged for promoting unnecessary prescription opioid sales, which has triggered a nationwide addiction crisis.
