CNN (10/13, Langmaid) reports, “Reported drug overdose deaths in the United States hit a new high of more than 96,000 in the 12-month period ending March 2021,” investigators concluded in data released Oct. 13 “by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.” Breaking down “overdose death data by drug class,” researchers found that “opioids accounted for the highest number of overdose deaths, followed by synthetic opioids excluding methadone.”
The Hill (10/13, Coleman) reports, “The record fatality count occurred during a time period encompassing the bulk of the pandemic’s first year,” but “the federal agency notes the data is provisional and the actual number of deaths is likely larger as death records are finalized.” What’s more, “all states but New Hampshire, New Jersey and South Dakota saw increases in overdose deaths, according to the data.”
Related Links:
— “US reaches record high of more than 96,000 drug overdose deaths in a 12-month period, CDC data show “Virginia Langmaid, CNN, October 13, 2021