Oregon is One of Five States Where Death by Drug Overdose Has Increased
Oregon is one of five states where opioid deaths have increased despite a record-breaking 15 percent decrease in death by drug overdoses nationwide, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Five Western states failed to reduce drug overdose deaths with the highest number in Alaska, where an increase of 36.1% was recorded. Increases of five to 15 percent were reported in Oregon, neighboring Washington, Nevada, and Utah.
94,758 Opioid Overdose Deaths in Last 12 Months
A total of 94,758 people died in the U.S. over the 12 months ending May 2024, representing a 15% overall decrease for the same period the previous year. However, this figure could increase to 98,820 when data is finalized – a 12.7% overall drug overdose death rate drop.
The latest data shows a decline for the sixth consecutive month in drug-related deaths nationwide.
Fentanyl Remains the Most Prolific Killer
Fentanyl remains the most prolific killer in incidents of overdosing and the data highlighted disparities at the regional level dealing with drug-related deaths.
North Carolina was the most successful state in reducing drug overdoses, recording a 48.8 percent drop. Other states that reported drops of at least 21 percent were Delaware, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Efforts to Increase Access to Reverse Overdose Drug Moderately Successful
Nationwide efforts to increase access to Naloxone, a reverse overdose drug, have been somewhat successful, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. The study found a decrease of 6.1 percent in Naloxone administered by emergency service workers from June 2020 to June 2022. Administering of the opioid to laypeople increased by 43.5 percent.
In an effort to reduce resistance to accepting opioid use disorder treatment, more than two dozen hospitals, groups, and insurance plans representing medical providers, pharmacists, and pharmacies have been approached by Reps. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Michael R. Turner, R-Ohio.
In the U.S., drug overdose fatalities in 12 months reached more than 100,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic, a startling increase compared to the previous 12 months when 68,000 deaths were recorded.
Congress did renew some of the lapsed 2018 drug prevention, treatment, and law enforcement provisions during the March omnibus spending measure. However, consensus was not reached on the broader aspects of the provisions of either chamber’s bipartisan reauthorization packages.
The data is an urgent call to action for everyone to work together to save even more lives, says Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.