As the opioid epidemic continues to rage , drug overdose Death go up by a monolithic 19 per centum in the US last twelvemonth , according to a digest of preliminary information byThe New York Times .
In 2015 , there were 52,404 drug overdoses in the US . In 2016 , The New York Times estimates that that figure lies somewhere between 59,000 and 65,000 deaths , with the most precise prediction being 62,497 deaths . This means Americans are more likely to die from a drug overdose than by a artillery homicide or a car crash .
The fundamental suspects in the rise are lawlessly make up fentanyl – a strong opioid similar to heroin – and oxycodone ( sold as Oxycontin ) , a effectual prescription painkiller that ’s become synonymous with the opioid epidemic . Heroin is also associated with the growth , although some county witnessed a drop-off in its use . Derivatives of these drug and other prescription painkillers are likely to be affect , such as Percocet , Vicodin , and even theelephant tranquillizer carfentanil . Yep , elephant tranquilizers .
Maryland , Florida , Pennsylvania , Maine , and Ohio are thought to be score with the big increment . In some westerly states , the predictions suggest deaths may have leveled off or dropped .
The data from The New York Times drew on selective information from hundred of health agencies looking into the extent of drug overdoses last year . The data is still preliminary , as official statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will not be published until the end of the year due to delays with toxicology reports .
While the findings are bleak and astonishing , they are not necessarily surprising . As The New York Times writes , “ all grounds suggests the problem has continued to worsen in 2017 . ”
A previous studyfound that a staggering 11.3 percent of American adult have used nonmedical prescription opioids at one point in their aliveness in 2012 - 2013 , compare to just 4.7 pct in 2001 - 2002 .
The movement of this monolithic problem are foggy . Although manygovernment agency point tothe increase availability , downcast price , and increased pureness of the drug , others blame the rise in impoverishment and theprofit - driven exploitation by pharmaceutical giants .
The opioid epidemic is often described as a uniquely American phenomenon . Nevertheless , an unrelatedannual reportfrom the European Monitoring Centre For Drugs and Drug Addiction was also unloose this week , read Europe ’s charge per unit of drug deaths increase for the third twelvemonth in a course . Although , it ’s worth noting that this was more associate with diacetylmorphine and opioid street drugs , as oppose to ethical drug drug .
