DRUG OVERDOSE STATISTICS

Editorial Staff in News
August 17, 2023

Addiction Treatment in the United States Rates Flatline While Overdoses Rise

According to preliminary data from CDC researchers, fatal overdoses were slightly higher in 2022 than in 2021, suggesting overdoses did not decline post-pandemic, as many public health experts thought they would. Meanwhile, treatment rates across the U.S.

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Rising Drug Overdose Deaths Among Seniors Shed Light on Expansion of Addiction Crisis to America’s Elderly

Much of the focus regarding America’s addiction epidemic has been on the effects that drugs and alcohol have on young people. Sadly, senior citizens have largely been forgotten as the addiction epidemic spread across all demographics.

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Ren in Information on U.S. States
April 18, 2023

Naloxone Helps Save Addicts from Overdoses, but Treatment Must Follow

Naloxone has been, at times, a controversial medicine because some view its availability as encouraging drug use. Those who hold this perspective believe that, if addicts have access to naloxone, they may feel more inclined to use drugs...

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Editorial Staff in Opioid Crisis
February 24, 2023

Fears Mount as Increasing Number of Opioid Overdoses Seem Tied to Naloxone-Resistant Tranquilizer

A January 2023 report published in a La Crosse, Wisconsin newspaper highlighted local law enforcement’s concern that a string of recent fatal drug overdoses in the city may have been linked to opioids laced with xylazine, a powerful animal tranquilizer that can make the user’s overdose resistant to naloxone (the medication used by responders to revive OD-ing addicts). This report ties in with other reports from local newspapers across the country, plus several broader, nationwide federal warnings that seek to inform Americans of growing risk factors connected to ANY opioid misuse.

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Ren in News
February 1, 2023

Drug Addiction Is a Serious Problem for Teens and Senior Citizens Too

People often think of drug addiction as primarily a problem for adults, especially adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. However, three recently published studies highlight how the addiction epidemic is expanding to include age demographics that previously did not struggle with drug addiction as much, particularly teens and seniors. This article shows how all Americans are at risk for drug addiction, regardless of age.

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Ren in News
January 11, 2023

How One Police Chief Is Changing the Conversation Around Addiction

A 30-year law enforcement veteran from Newtown, Ohio, Police Chief Tom Synan has stepped up and launched the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition, a partnership between law enforcement and behavioral health programs. The coalition’s goal is to shift the addiction response off of law enforcement departments and instead utilize law enforcement officers’ first interaction with drug users to connect those individuals with treatment services via community engagement. Law enforcement officers contribute by connecting addicts with community agencies that can place the addicts in treatment facilities.

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Ren in News
November 10, 2022

Drug Overdoses Contributed to the Latest Drop in American Life Expectancy

While many factors influence American life expectancy, some causes of death (and the ever-changing upticks and downward-trends surrounding such deaths) are considered more of an influence than others. For example, fatal accidental injuries spiked in the last two years. When broken down into subcategories, it’s evident that drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury-related death in America.

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Ren in Legislation
January 20, 2022

Pharma Companies Settle to Resolve Opioid Lawsuits

Several major pharma litigations are currently making their way through U.S. courts. One such case just came to a close, unfortunately releasing several pharma giants from all legal liability regarding their role in the devastating opioid epidemic.

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Ren in Drug-Related News
December 15, 2021

Over 100,000 Lives Lost to Drugs; CDC Finalizes Overdose Fatalities for 2020

The United States just passed a grim milestone, the first time in recorded history when over 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in one year. It’s a painful wake-up call, and a call to action that something must be done about the drug addiction epidemic.

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Ren in Opioid Crisis
October 22, 2021

Are Drug and Alcohol Addiction Fatalities the Next American Epidemic?

Words and terms like “epidemic,” “pandemic,” and “national health emergency” have become commonplace in American society. These terms often make one think of the dangerous spread of communicable diseases and illnesses. Yet with almost 200,000 deaths in 2020 from drug-related causes and alcohol-related causes, is it time to look at addiction as America’s next National Epidemic?

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