Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently reported that deaths caused by drug overdose on 2014 is setting a new record in the US. The finding is based on death certificate records submitted before the end of 2014. There is an alarming number of 47,000 drug overdose-induced deaths last 2014.
States like West Virginia, New Mexico, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Ohio influenced the statistics greatly. A large concentration of these deaths occurred in these states.
Furthermore, in detail, the drugs that led to these deaths are heroin and opioids, which are prescribed by doctors as pain killers. 28,647 or 61% of the recorded deaths are caused by these drugs.
"The opioid epidemic is devastating American families and communities. To curb these trends and save lives, we must help prevent addiction and provide support and treatment to those who suffer from opioid use disorders," says CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden.
The number of deaths caused by opioid overdose has quadrupled since 2000. Opioids are also known as gateway drugs to heroine as it delivers identical effects to its abuser.
In efforts to control the wrongful distribution of opioids, the CDC issued new guidelines that aims to make opioids less accessible for abuse. Patients will be encouraged to use other pain relief medications aside from opioids. Fentanyl OxyContin the go to alternative. But these guidelines will not include patients that are terminally ill.
Illegally manufactured fentanyl are also circulating around the illegal drug market. This type of narcotic is usually added to heroin or branded as heroin. These drugs caused 5,500 deaths in 2014, almost twice as many as in 2013.
The demographic of the deaths are vary so much. It is high on all categories: all age brackets, men and women, blacks and non-Hispanic whites.
The CDC emphasizes the role of the law enforcement department in mitigating the statistics of drug overdose-induced deaths. "This report also shows how important it is that law enforcement intensify efforts to reduce the availability of heroin, illegal fentanyl and other illegal opioids," says Frieden.