Deaths due to opioid toxicity increased significantly in U.S. during pandemic

HealthDay (7/11, Gotkine) reports, “Deaths due to opioid toxicity increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study.” Results show “that there was a 289 percent increase in the number of unintentional deaths due to opioid toxicity, from 19,395 to 75,477.” Between 2011 and 2021, “the percentage of all deaths that were attributed to opioid toxicity increased from 1.8 to 4.5 percent.” Additionally, “by 2021, opioid toxicity was responsible for 10.2, 21.7, and 21.0 percent of deaths among those aged 15 to 19, 20 to 29, and 30 to 39 years, respectively.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

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— “Deaths Due to Opioid Toxicity Up in U.S. During COVID-19,”Elana Gotkine, HealthDay, July 11, 2023

Posted in In The News.