NEW YORK – Overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 for the first time in a 12-month period, federal health authorities said Wednesday, a devastating record as the country still grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
According data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of overdose deaths increased 29%, from 78,056 in April 2019 to April 2020, to 100,306 during the same period the following year. The information is provisional, but it would be an indicator of the final report that would be released in December.
The state of Vermont saw the largest increase in overdose deaths – nearly 70% compared to the previous year.
Deaths from opioids – mostly synthetic opioids like fentanyl – accounted for more than 75% of overdose deaths. Deaths from psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine, also increased.
“As we continue to make progress to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot put aside this epidemic that has affected so many families and communities in our country,” said President Joe Biden through a statement.
“We are strengthening prevention programs, expanding treatments, and supporting people in recovery, while reducing the supply of dangerous substances in our communities,” added the president.
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