93,000 US Overdose Deaths During the Pandemic Shatters Record
A new record for US overdose deaths is a shameful statistic. During the past year, provisional drug overdoses hit the frightening mark of more than 93,000 people in the United States. Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic is partly responsible, including the lockdowns and an inability by many to access treatment help. At the same time, it is a failure of the federal government and local jurisdictions to decrease the availability of fentanyl and heroin. Although the list of US overdose deaths includes all drugs, opioid use disorder is the leading cause by far. In particular, the rise of fentanyl abuse is a major contributing factor.
Indeed, the sharp spike in US overdose deaths is hard to comprehend. Originally, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates of 72,000 provisional drug overdoses felt staggeringly high. However, the National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the CDC, recently revised the final totals for provisional drug overdoses. Now, with another 21,000 US drug overdose deaths added to the total, Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc. (TTC) cannot stand on the sideline and say nothing. As part of our mission to treat substance use disorder, TTC has put a concerted effort into preventing overdoses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For example, beyond promoting Narcan use and distribution, new staff members receive training on the administration of this life-saving opioid antagonist. Moreover, we are a forerunner in the implementation of MAT (Medications for Addiction Treatment) Services. Thus, our efforts need to become the norm in the clinical community and beyond. Indeed, preventing US overdose deaths and providing treatment for opioid use disorders (OUD) is a national priority. Hence, MAT options are a necessity.
Connection Between Fentanyl and US Overdose Deaths
Do you realize that 93,000 human beings is a number almost equal to the seating capacity of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum? In your mind’s eye, try to imagine an entire football stadium of Americans dying unnecessary and wasted deaths. Indeed, it is a tragedy of staggering proportions. Therefore, without blinking, how can we stem this deadly tide and save countless lives?
Although like heroin in its effects, fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than the legendary street drug. Like morphine, it is a medicine that typically treats patients in hospital settings. Given fentanyl’s extreme power, doctors only give the drug to patients in severe pain, especially after surgery. Indeed, what is so incredibly sad is that a drug synthesized to help people in real need is now a street drug killing countless thousands.
Why is fentanyl use leading to so many US overdose deaths? The problem is three-fold. First, fentanyl is so powerful that a small dosage is deadly. Hence, it needs to be administered in micro-doses that demand exacting standards of competence and administration. Unfortunately, illegal drug dealers are not known to keep such standards.
US Overdose Deaths and Chinese Production of Fentanyl
Second, with unregulated factories in China producing fentanyl in bulk, the drug shows up around the world in such a variety of ways. Loaded into another pharmaceutical delivery, sent in regular mail packages, or hidden in mass in a shipment of coal, the Chinese entrepreneurs are doing everything they can to get the fentanyl into the hands of Western drug dealers and organized crime syndicates, particularly the Mexican mafia in North America.
As reported on by National Public Radio, Matt Donahue, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) deputy chief of operations, who oversees the agency’s work abroad, explains, “Traffickers have intelligence just like we do… The Chinese have great intelligence. They know we can’t get into this stuff. That’s why they utilize those methods of communication to be able to ship drugs. They know law enforcement doesn’t have the means or the know-how or the resources to infiltrate.”
Organized Crime Fuels US Overdose Deaths
With so much fentanyl being imported to North America, the Mexican mafia is experiencing a bonanza of drug-dealing opportunities. However, organized crime cartels now possess an abundance of fentanyl. Since the drug is so powerful, it goes a long way, and the cartels have a surplus. Not wanting to kill off all their customers, they need to create new markets for the drugs. Thus, fentanyl is now found in many illegal drugs as a contaminant. In fact, in a recent study, 75% of all illegal benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax turned out to have fentanyl as the active ingredient.
Given such facts, it is not surprising that US overdose rates are soaring out of control. TTC believes that beyond law enforcement efforts to stop the distribution of fentanyl through organized crime networks, prevention efforts and opioid use disorder treatment is a necessity. As a trailblazer in MAT services, TTC knows the positive results of such treatment options. Moreover, by providing universal access to Narcan, the prevention of overdoses becomes a reality. Indeed, the combination of the immediate Narcan response to an opioid overdose and follow-up MAT services makes sense.
Unfortunately, the blight of fentanyl is not going away anytime soon. Without acting, the horizon for US overdose deaths looks grim. Therefore, federal and state investment needs to happen to reduce the stark and tragic rise in US overdose deaths.