Nearly 92,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2020, marking a 30% increase from the year before, a 75% increase over five years and by far the highest annual total on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Jan 19, 2022
All opioids, including commonly prescribed, synthetic, and heroin, increased considerably. Within the white population, synthetic opioids were the leading cause of drug overdose death in 2017-2019. Opioids were involved in 53% of all drug overdose deaths in 2017-2019.
DeathsNameBornDrug(s)Michael Alig1966HeroinLexii Alijai1998Fentanyl and ethanolHoward Alk1930HeroinA. A. Allen1911Alcohol59 more rows
Estimates based on provisional data back in July indicated more than 93,000 drug overdose deaths had occurred in 2020. Though the final total of 91,799 fell short of that earlier tally, it still represents a 30% increase over the more than 70,000 deaths that occurred in 2019.Dec 30, 2021
The age group with the greatest past-year nonmedical use of opioids is young adults aged 18 to 25, yet the greatest use (i.e., exposure) of prescription opioids is among adults aged 26 and older.
improving access to treatment and recovery services. promoting use of overdose-reversing drugs. strengthening our understanding of the epidemic through better public health surveillance. providing support for cutting-edge research on pain and addiction.Mar 11, 2021
List of deaths through alcoholNameDeath dateOccupationAlexi Laiho29 December 2020 (aged 41)MusicianVerne Troyer21 April 2018 (aged 49)Actor and ComedianDolores O'Riordan15 January 2018 (aged 46)SingerDavid Cassidy21 November 2017 (aged 67)Singer, Musician and Actor67 more rows
There were 1,444 drug overdose deaths in New York City in 2018, 38 fewer deaths than in 2017, and a rate decrease of 3%. However, declines were not evenly distributed by age, borough or race/ethnicity. For the second year in a row, fentanyl was the most common substance — involved in nearly two thirds of drug overdose deaths.
First quarter of 2019 shows 331 overdose deaths, which represents a decrease of 45 fatalities from the same time period last year and a slight drop from the final quarter of 2018. As part of HealingNYC, the City continues to fund effective treatment and overdose prevention efforts and support communities most affected by the epidemic.
Morphine is another powerful opioid often administered via syringe for severe pain. It can come in pill form, usually as extended-release tablets and capsules, and is prescribed only to relieve difficult, chronic pain that cannot be controlled by the use of other pain medications.
These pills are a more powerful form of codeine, called hydrocodone, and are often mixed with acetaminophen. Hydrocodone is the most frequently prescribed opioid painkiller, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the most abused. An overdose of hydroco done can cause "cold and clammy skin, severely constricted pupils, and slow breathing that can lead to a loss of consciousness and death."
Buprenorphine is different from other opioids because it's a "partial opioid agonist," which means that when taken in proper prescribed doses, it should produce less euphoria and physical dependence, and therefore a lower potential for misuse. It's also supposed to have a relatively mild withdrawal profile.
Because it decreases activity in the part of the brain that controls coughing, it's frequently mix ed with other liquids to develop cough syrups for colds and flu. It has frequently been used for pain relief after removal of tonsils and adenoids in children.
Fentanyl citrate, pictured here, is a Class II controlled substance and one of the most powerful opioids on the market. It's often administered via injection or transdermal patch, or in lozenge form for pain after surgery, for difficult-to-manage chronic pain and for people who have developed a tolerance to other opioids.
Oxycodone is a powerful narcotic pain reliever prescribed for moderate to high pain relief. It's often given in an extended-release formula for patients who will need to be on pain medications for long periods of time.
Though methadone is used to relieve severe chronic pain, it's most commonly known for preventing withdrawal symptoms in patients who were addict ed to opioid drugs, as a part of their recovery process.