Smoking Overtakes Injection as Leading Route of Drug Use in Overdose Deaths, CDC Report Finds
A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a concerning trend in drug overdose deaths. The report states that smoking drugs has surpassed injection as the leading route of drug use involved in such deaths. The findings are based on information gathered from crime scene investigations, witness reports, and autopsy data.
The report compares data on drug deaths from January to June 2020 with data from July to December 2022. By the end of 2022, smoking had become the most common form of drug consumption associated with overdose deaths. Specifically, the percentage of overdose deaths involving smoking increased by almost 74%, rising from 13.3% to 23.1% during this time period. In contrast, the percentage of overdose deaths involving injections decreased from 22.7% to 16.1%.
The rise in smoking as a route of drug use is particularly alarming considering the high number of drug overdose deaths in the United States. In 2022 alone, over 109,000 people died from drug overdoses. Synthetic opioids, mainly illegally created fentanyl and its analogues, were responsible for nearly 70% of these deaths.
One possible reason for the shift from injection to smoking is the perception that smoking carries a lower risk of overdose. Users may believe that they have more control over the amount of the drug they consume when smoking it. However, fentanyl is an extremely potent drug, and even a small amount can be deadly.
The CDC report also suggests that smoking drugs may have fewer adverse health effects compared to injecting them. Injecting fentanyl multiple times a day can lead to vein damage and abscesses, whereas smoking eliminates these challenges.
Understanding this trend is crucial for harm-reduction workers who aim to provide safer alternatives for drug users. They can now focus on providing users with safer smoking materials, fentanyl test strips, and naloxone, which can reduce the health risks associated with sharing smoking equipment.
Molly Reid, an epidemiologist specializing in access to safer smoking equipment, emphasizes the importance of expanding harm reduction programs to address this shift. While many organizations currently offer syringe service programs, the information from this report highlights the need to broaden their services.
Reid also calls for further research comparing the risks of injecting versus smoking fentanyl. If the dangers of heroin align with those of fentanyl, it becomes evident that the rise in smoking drugs is not solely responsible for the overdose trend. Instead, it is the deadly nature of fentanyl itself.
Although smoking may be relatively safer than injecting, it does not outweigh the added danger of fentanyl. Reid stresses the need for increased availability of naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and overdose awareness education.
The CDC has reported that drug overdose deaths reached a record high in 2022, with fentanyl playing a significant role in the increase. Preliminary data for 2023 suggests that the trend is continuing, with over 111,000 drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending in September. Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, were involved in more than two-thirds of these deaths.
The findings of this report highlight the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address the drug overdose crisis. Efforts should focus on increasing access to harm reduction services, raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, and providing resources such as naloxone and fentanyl test strips to mitigate the risks associated with drug use. Only through a multifaceted approach can we hope to reverse this devastating trend and save lives.
