drug overdoses

Regional trends in overdose deaths reveal multiple opioid epidemics

The United States is suffering from several different simultaneous opioid epidemics, rather than just a single crisis, according to an academic study of deaths caused by drug overdoses. David Peters, an associate professor of sociology at Iowa State University, co-authored the study, which appeared in the academic journal Rural Sociology. Peters…

National data says substance abuse is on the decline. These charts tell a different story.

In a country as large as the United States, national averages can quickly lose all meaning. Deaths from alcohol use disorders, for example, have dropped nationally by 8.1 percent since 1980. But in some counties, deaths have doubled in that same timeframe. The question of why isn’t an easy one…

Commentary: The Most Under-Recognized Public Health Crisis

We lose nearly 130 people a day to drug overdoses. It is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and the loss is felt most acutely by the families left behind. By doing a better job of helping families and their addicted children, we can most effectively…

Deaths Involving Heroin More Than Tripled Between 2010 and 2014: DEA

The number of deaths in the United States involving heroin more than tripled between 2010 and 2014, according to a new report by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The number of people reporting current heroin use nearly tripled between 2007 and 2014, the agency said. The DEA’s 2016 National Heroin…

Drug Overdoses May Play Role in Slight Drop in Life Expectancy for White Americans

A new government report finds there was a slight decline in the life expectancy of white Americans in 2014. Drug overdoses, liver disease and suicide were the main factors in the decrease, according to the lead researcher from the National Center for Health Statistics. The report found life expectancy for…