Very sad news…
According to the New York Times:
Drug deaths in America, which fell for the first time in 25 years in 2018, rose to record numbers in 2019 and are continuing to climb, a resurgence that is being complicated and perhaps worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.
Seventy-two thousand Americans died from a drug overdose last year. That’s a five percent increase year-over-year.
On a related matter, close to 88,000 Americans are dying annually from alcohol-related causes.
Deaths from overdoses are now higher than ever recorded for auto accidents, gun violence, or AIDS in a given year.
Remarkable and remarkably sad.
Making matters worse – the worsening trend seems to be accelerating in 2020 – due in large part to the pandemic and the despair and isolation that has impacted so many. To date, overdose deaths are up 13% year-over-year.
If the 2020 trend continues, the year will see one of the sharpest percentage increases in overdose deaths in our history.
Again, according to the New York Times:
Several public health experts said conditions created by the pandemic could hurt the nation’s fragile progress in fighting the surge of drug deaths, but noted that the overdose rate was on its way back up well before the virus arrived. “Covid just makes it a bit worse,” said Dr. Dan Ciccarone, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies the opioid epidemic. “It’s a small wave riding on top of a tsunami that continues to devastate.”
According to a number of public health officials, the synthetic opioid fentanyl is a major driver behind the increase in deaths. Once confined mainly to the eastern U.S., this synthetic is now making its way west. Complicating matters – many of those addicted to heroin are abandoning that drug for fentanyl as well.
Adding to the suffering – meth use is also on the rise. And the meth people are now using is often of Mexican origin, and far more deadly.
Where does all of this leave us?
It leaves us needing new ways to fight addiction. Aware Recovery Care’s in-home addiction treatment protocol is one of those new ways – offering hope and great promise.
If you are struggling with an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol and need help with any aspect of care in Connecticut, Eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Southern Maine, or Florida, the recovery teams at Aware Recovery Care are here to help. Our unique model of care is giving clients a significantly better chance of recovery when compared to traditional inpatient rehab care. To learn more or to talk to one of our Recovery Specialists, please contact us.
