According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, deaths from substance abuse decreased by 9.3% in 2023
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the United States published this Wednesday (May 15, 2024) research that shows a 3% drop in the number of overdose deaths in the country in 2023.
107,543 overdose deaths were reported from January to December 2023. In the previous year, there were 111,029. The rate was driven by the reduction in opioid-related cases (-3.7%).
The state of North Carolina leads with a 35.84% reduction in deaths. Alaska, on the other hand, recorded an increase of 44.13%.
In addition to opioids, the main drugs that cause death from substance abuse are psychostimulants and cocaine. Natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic opioids have been responsible for more than 77,000 deaths, according to the CDC.
According to the agency, hospitalizations for opioid use are generally caused by simultaneous overdose with psychotropic drugs, cannabis or stimulants.
US opioid crisis
The country is facing an epidemic of addiction due to the use of medications that are part of the opioid family. Many Americans use the drug as painkillers.
However, the synthetic drug is considered to be 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Thus, it can lead to fatal overdose if used without medical advice.
Source: https://www.poder360.com.br/poder-saude/mortes-por-overdose-nos-eua-caem-pela-1a-vez-em-5-anos/
