Opioid Overdose Rates in America Are Still Increasing

Emergency room visits for suspected opioid overdoses increased by about 30% across the United States between June 2016 and September 2017, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The figures, included in the agency’s monthly Vital Signs report, suggest that the ravages of the opioid crisis, which claimed more than 42,000 lives in 2016, show few signs of letting up. “It does not respect state or county lines and is still increasing in every region in the United States,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, the acting director of the CDC, said in a statement. Some areas did see increases in overdose rates far above the national average. Wisconsin, for example, saw a staggering 109% increase, followed by a 105% increase in Delaware, an 81% increase in Pennsylvania and a 66% increase in Illinois. Overall, the Midwest experienced a 70% growth in overdose rates. The Northeast and Southeast, meanwhile, saw upticks of about 20%, while the Southeast saw a 14% rise. Increases in overdose-related emergency department visits were similar across genders and age groups, according to the report. Large cities, however, saw a particularly stark increase, at 54% compared to 21% in more rural areas. A few states did report decreases, though most of those drops— like those in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island — were not considered significant. Only Kentucky, with a 15% drop, saw a statistically significant decrease in overdose-rel...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime onetime opioids Source Type: news