Tens of thousands of people will die from opioid drug use next year, as the US epidemic worsens.
It is thought there were more than 53,000 opioid-related deaths there in 2016. Official tallies won’t be released until next year, but a number of states – among them Missouri, Mississippi, Connecticut and Maryland – have already reported higher opioid-related death rates for 2017 than for 2016.
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While prescription painkillers have played a role in the epidemic, crackdowns mean many now get opioids on the street – including fentanyl, which can be 100 times more powerful than heroin.
Given its trajectory, this trend is expected to worsen next year. In 2016, there were over 21,000 fentanyl-related deaths – more than double the number in 2015 – meaning the drug overtook heroin as a cause of death.
It isn’t just a US problem. Drug-related deaths have been rising in Europe, and there were more than 60 fentanyl-related deaths in the UK in 2017.
Governments are finally taking notice. Next February, medication containing codeine will no longer be sold over the counter in Australia, where codeine-related deaths have more than doubled since 2000. This October, President Donald Trump declared a national public health emergency in the US.
“Deaths from fentanyl – which can be 100 times more powerful than heroin – have doubled and will continue rising”
But any improvements there next year are likely to be achieved by local areas and individual states rather than by a government that seems reluctant to commit any emergency funding to the crisis.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island are both already on track to have fewer opioid-related deaths next year. “I expect a few states may begin to emerge as success stories to be emulated,” says Michael Barnett of Harvard University.
This article appeared in print under the headline “Opioid crisis claims more lives”
