(CNN) – The United States has seen a significant increase in fatal drug overdoses and set a record for overdose deaths in the year ending May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Thursday. ).
The worst deaths coincide with closures and other measures taken to contain the pandemic, the CDC said in a health warning.
Data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) indicates that approximately 81,230 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States during that period.
“This represents a worsening epidemic of drug overdose in the United States and is the highest number of drug overdoses ever recorded in a 12-month period,” the CDC warning said.
American Overdose Epidemic is getting worse
The most common are overdoses of synthetic opioids, such as illegally manufactured fentanyl. But there has also been an increase in deaths from drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine, the CDC added.
And the numbers seem grim. “The 12-month death toll from synthetic opioids is up 38.4% from the 12 months ending in June 2019, compared to the 12 months ending in May 2020,” the CDC said.
A 98% increase in deaths from synthetic opioids was seen in 10 western states, coinciding with greater availability of these drugs in that region. “After a 4.1% decrease between 2017 and 2018, the number of overdose deaths increased 18.2% in the 12 months ending June 2019 to the 12 months ending May 2020,” they noted. .
The agency says people should be educated about the risks of using drugs independently.
These recently released interim data on fatal overdoses, along with the known disruption to public health, healthcare and social services from the COVID-19 pandemic and related mitigation measures, underscore the need for services. essentials remain accessible to those most at risk of overdose and the need to scale up prevention and response activities, “the agency added.
The recommendations also include expanding the use of naloxone, a drug used in overdose. It’s important to expand the places where education about overdose prevention and naloxone for home use is provided, especially in rural areas, the CDC said.