The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that there were 81,230 drug overdose deaths in the year ending May 2020 — a new record, driven by fentanyl, with deaths accelerating during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
The report notes “substantial increases in drug overdose deaths across the United States, primarily driven by rapid increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids excluding methadone … likely illicitly manufactured fentanyl.”
It also indicates “a concerning acceleration of the increase in drug overdose deaths, with the largest increase recorded
from March 2020 to May 2020, coinciding with the implementation of widespread mitigation measures for the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Though overdose deaths declined 4.1% from 2017 to 2018, the CDC says, they have recently accelerated. The surge began before the pandemic, but accelerated during the pandemic.- READ MORE
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