My Unpublished Letter to the Editor on the Tragic Drug Overdose Report

Jeffrey A. SingerOn November 18 theWall Street Journalran a front page story entitled “Drug Overdose Deaths, Fueled by Fentanyl, Hit Record High in U.S. ” It reported on provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that reveal a heartbreaking 100,306 drug overdose deaths for the 12 months running through April 2021, a 29 percent increase over the previous 12 month period.Thereport released by the CDC on November 17 stated that 75,673 of the more than 100,000 overdose deaths were opioid ‐​related, up from 56,064 the previous year. The remainder of overdose deaths involved cocaine, methamphetamine, and other psychostimulants with abuse potential. Fentanyl was involved in85 percent of the opioid ‐​related overdose deaths in the most recent data.The WSJ article went on to state:Fentanyl has for years been a major catalyst in an intensifying U.S. overdose crisis. The nation was reporting fewer than 50,000 fatal overdoses as recently as 2014. In 2020, the number surged to a record of about 93,330.I submitted a letter to the editor of theWall Street Journal, shown below, that reflects on the tragic new numbers. Regrettably, my letter wasn ’t published.Dear Editor:Of the 75,000 opioid ‐​related overdose deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the 12 months ending in April 2021, 85 percent involved illicit fentanyl, made in labs and smuggled into the U.S. by Mexican drug cartels. Mean...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs