(TheIndependentStar.com) – In a staggering report that worries health authorities and poses an alarming threat to Americans’ well-being, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that drug overdoses hit record highs in 2022.
According to the CDC, around 108,000 Americans died of overdoses in 2022 which led to a total of 107,941 individuals in that period, approximately 1,200 more or 1 % higher than the tally for 2021.
The study revealed that the number of overdose fatalities has been on the rise for two decades and continues to set new records every year. While the overdose death rate for teens and young adults under 35 saw a slight drop, it surged for adults aged 35 and above.
Men persistently dominate overdose deaths, which make up roughly 70 % of all deaths. In contrast, in 2022 the female overdose death rate fell for the first time in five years, although the male rate continued rising.
Meanwhile, American Indian and Alaska Native communities maintained the highest overdose death rate, which spiked by 15 % in 2022. However, Black, Hispanic, and Asian people witnessed a rise in their overdose death rates in contrast to a decline among white Americans.
Potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl persist in sharply escalating the death toll. This drug is almost 50 times more potent than heroin and has been gaining terrain in the U.S. for years.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can trigger a fatal overdose. Also, this lethal drug is inexpensive to produce and easy to transport and Mexican cartels are increasingly trafficked over the southern border.
Synthetic opioids caused approximately 23 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022 which marked a 4 % increase from 2021. On the contrary, fatalities that involved natural opioids like heroin decreased.
Deaths linked to cocaine also surged by 12 % in 2022, while those involving psychostimulants such as methamphetamine rose by 4 %.
The mortality rates for infants and children increased up to 14 roses between 2021 and 2022, while those for older age groups decreased.
At the moment, data on overdose deaths for 2023 have yet to be released.
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