did the us finally turn a corner in the fentanyl crisis?
U.S. drug-related fatalities drop by nearly 30%
Pause, y’all. While it seems the US may have taken a step back from the brink, the far-reaching shadows of the fentanyl crisis still linger.
Let’s get all the tea on this, shall we? Last year, the land of the free and the ahem, not-so-brave saw a decline in drug deaths - the lowest figure since 2019. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a drop of around 27% to 80,391 deaths. But, fear not, for most of those who perished were still victims of that devious little bugger Fentanyl.
Say it ain't so, Fentanyl! Statistics show that the number of deaths from ODs of that devious, potent opioid sho' nuff decreased by a bomb-af-sizable 48,422. The only states still seein’ an uptick were South Dakota and Nevada, according to the agency, but that's a tale for another time.
Now, you might be thinkin’ “hey, they’s doin’ well!” But, the Deets and the Deeps gotta say, it ain’t no cause for unbridled jubilation. Overdose remains the top killer for Americans between the ripe ages of 18 and 44, so there's still a heap of work to be done.
Interestingly enough, the trend seemed to start flip-floppin’ durin’ President Joe Biden’s time in office, but the peeps in the Trump administration was like “naw, not us! We was savin’ the day back in 2017!” Ya see, Trumpie declared the opioid crisis early in his first term, hub-bub bein’ fed by none other than the CDC. Efforts to combat the crisis expanded with congressional support too.
But wait, don't go clappin’ yet. Over two decades, an estimated one million US citizens have kicked the bucket from drug overdose. Autopsy reports reveal that this epidemic took root in the 90s when Big Pharma pushed hard on prescription painkillers, none other than Fentanyl included. Hmm, doesn't feel like a fantastic ad campaign for those companies, eh?
Ah, you may ask, who's fuelin’ this mess? Well, allegedly, ole Trump blames China for smugglin' the good stuff in massive quantities, often laced with cocaine or other questionable ingredients. That's part of why he slapped a 20% tariff on ‘em.
So, y'all, we're gettin' there, little by little, but it ain't no walk in the park by a long shot. Better days lie ahead, though, if we keep pushin' forward and addressin' the root causes of this epidemic.
- The decline in drug deaths in the US last year, despite being the lowest figure since 2019, is still heavily influenced by Fentanyl, with around 80,391 deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- In the discussion of the Fentanyl crisis, it's important to consider not just the decline in deaths but also the ongoing issue of overdose as the top killer for Americans between the ages of 18 and 44.
- The efforts to combat the opioid crisis in the US have expanded over the years, with both the Trump and Biden administrations taking action. However, it's been reported that the trend of a decrease in overdose deaths started during President Biden's term, though the Trump administration claims credit for their efforts initiated in 2017.
