Drug overdose deaths hit US record in 2021

The number of deaths from drug overdoses in the United States hit a record last year, according to data presented by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on Wednesday (11).

In 2021, there were 107,622 victims, a 15% increase over the previous year, when 93,655 people died as a result of substance abuse.

The Covid-19 pandemic, the use of synthetic opioids and the online access to counterfeit medicines help to explain the worsening of a crisis that has only worsened for two decades – since 2015 the number of overdose victims in the country has doubled.

In November, a preliminary report from the CDC had already indicated the possibility of the record, pointing to 100,306 deaths between April 2020 and April 2021 — a 28.6% increase from the same period of 12 months before, when 78,000 Americans had been victims of substance abuse.

The total number of overdose victims is greater than the sum of firearm and traffic accident deaths. Fentanyl alone, a synthetic opioid developed to treat chronic pain, was responsible for more than half of the deaths: 71,238. Then come methamphetamine, cocaine, and natural opioids like heroin and morphine.

Fentanyl, which can be 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more than morphine, is often used in conjunction with other drugs that intensify its effects. In 2016, the unregulated intake of fentanyl led to the death of American singer Prince, aged 57.

The substance is sold by prescription only, but US officials have reported record seizures of counterfeit drugs from Mexico.

In April, the DEA, the narcotics enforcement and control body, warned of an increase in cases of overdoses of drugs mixed with the substance.

“Fentanyl is highly addictive, it is present in all 50 states, and dealers are increasingly mixing it with other types of drugs — in powder or pill form — in an effort to increase addiction and attract repeat buyers,” he said. the organ.

That same month, Joe Biden’s government announced a national strategy to address the country’s drug abuse epidemic. The idea is to expand access to treatments such as naloxone-based drugs, drug reagent tests and syringe delivery programs.

The government also requested a budget increase for drug and border control agencies to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the country.

In 2020, among the 41.1 million people who needed treatment for substance use disorders, only 2.7 million (6.5%) received help at a specialized center, according to the CDC.

When the preliminary report was released in November, authorities had already drawn attention to the scale of the problem. “It’s time to face the fact that the crisis is getting worse. We need to put all our efforts into it,” US Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said at the time.

Rahul Gupta, head of the White House’s Office of Drug Control Policy, said the number of victims was unacceptable. “An overdose is a cry for help,” he said. “For many people, this request is unanswered. It requires a whole set of government responses and evidence-based strategies.”