The rate of drug overdose deaths in the United States has slowed in recent months after reaching record levels during the pandemic, according to a study published this week by the country’s health authorities. However, these figures have indeed increased among adolescents.
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According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 107,735 people died from drug overdoses in the 12-month period that ended last July.
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Although this is about 2,500 fewer deaths than the number reached in March, marking a 2 percent drop in four months, that number is also 25 percent higher than two years ago and more than 50 percent higher than five years ago, according to an analysis made by the chain CNN.
Health authorities warned of the danger of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, and one of the most important factors in this silent epidemic. According to the study, synthetic opioids were involved in more than two-thirds of overdose deaths, while psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine, in almost a third of these.
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The average monthly overdose rate for teens ages 10 to 18 doubled in the United States between 2019 and 2021, according to the study. The average monthly rate of overdose in this age group increased by 109 percent between those years.the CDC notes.
Similarly, the study reveals that the number of illegally manufactured fentanyl overdoses has increased by 182 percent.
In general, adolescents used fewer illicit drugs during this period, suggesting that the increase in deaths is probably due to “more powerful drugs,” he adds.
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Fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is produced cheaply in laboratories. The one that enters the United States comes mainly from Mexico, where it is produced with precursors from China, according to official US sources, who also clarify that only two milligrams is considered a potentially lethal dose.
This drug has flooded the streets. According to the study, about a quarter of teen overdoses are due to counterfeit pills, often called oxycodone (a pain reliever) or alprazolam (an anxiolytic sometimes known as Xanax).
“The proliferation of counterfeit pills that look like prescription drugs but actually contain illegally manufactured fentanyl, and the ease with which they can be purchased on social media, have increased the risk of fatal overdose among adolescents,” health authorities warned.
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Between July 2019 and December 2021, there were records of 1,808 adolescent overdoses in 31 US states and the capital. The average number of deaths per month was 32.5 between July and December 2019. It rose to 68 per month during the same period in 2021. That is, an increase of 109 percent.
Another problem is that both fentanyl and methamphetamine are also often found in combination with other drugs, including cocaine and heroin, a statement from Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy at New York, said this week. the White House.
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Although we continue to see a stalemate, the administration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris remains focused on getting more people with addictions the care they need.
For this reason, he adds, “although we continue to see a stagnation in overdose deaths, the administration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris remains focused on getting more people with addictions to receive the care they need.”
According to the White House, in the 12-month period ending in July, medical services responded to more than 390,000 emergencies across the country involving the administration of naloxone, which can block the effect of opioids. That number represents nearly four for every fatal overdose in the same period.
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In its study, the CDC is emphatic that “urgent efforts are needed” to prevent overdose deaths. To do this, they recommend strengthening preventive campaigns, especially among adolescents.
WILLIAM MORENO HERNANDEZ
International Writing
*With information from AFP
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