Report: Drug overdose deaths surge across US

[rooster59]

Report: Drug overdose deaths surge across US

NEW YORK (AP) — Drug overdose deaths surged across the U.S. to the highest level since at least 1970, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC released the overall tally last week. On Friday it provided more details, including numbers for individual states.

For the nation, overdose deaths last year surpassed 47,000 — up 7 percent from the previous year.

The count includes deaths involving powerful painkillers, sedatives, heroin, cocaine and other legal and illicit drugs.

West Virginia, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Kentucky and Ohio had the highest overdose death rates. In West Virginia, the overdose rate was 35.5 per 100,000; the national rate was about 15 per 100,000.

State rates are calculated to provide a more balanced comparison between states given the differences in population size.

In sheer numbers, California — the most populous state — had the most overdose deaths last year, with more than 4,500. Ohio was second, with more than 2,700.

The numbers are based on death certificates. Nearly half a million Americans died from drug overdoses from 2000 through 2014, the CDC says.

Drug overdoses — particularly those from prescription opioid painkillers — has become a priority issue for the Atlanta-based CDC. The agency this week released draft guidelines for family doctors, encouraging them to be more careful about prescribing opioids for chronic pain.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-19

[Ulysses G.]

Legalize and regulate all drugs, so that users will know exactly what and how much they are taking. That would help a lot. The war on drugs has been a complete failure.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[daoyai]

The fact that prescription opiates which are quite hard to get a prescriptions for are the leading killer leads me to suspect a large percentage were suicides iby terminally ill patients that do have easier access to opioids. More interesting would be to see the breakdowns as to who was ODing on what. I expect to see deaths due to eating canabis products to rise... total legalization may be an option but meth use is so destructive and makes people dangerous...

Edited December 19, 2015 by daoyai

[NickJ]

I read somewhere that the US consumes close to 80% of the worlds opiate derived painkillers. This would include both legit users and recreational ones. Many people get injured and then addicted. Back pain was the main reason......Could be b.s. But I have known many people go down that sad path. As far as codeine being hard to get. I dont think its easy but it is availiable. Ten years ago here you could pretty much buy codiene at any pharmacy for next to nothing. In Cambodia it was easy to purchase ampules of moriphine and oxy.

[ezzra]

Yeah well, no pity there, who ever indulge in drugs and OD on it he only has him/her self to blame...

[blundaman]

The fact that prescription opiates which are quite hard to get a prescriptions for are the leading killer leads me to suspect a large percentage were suicides iby terminally ill patients that do have easier access to opioids. More interesting would be to see the breakdowns as to who was ODing on what. I expect to see deaths due to eating canabis products to rise... total legalization may be an option but meth use is so destructive and makes people dangerous...

regarding cannabis you might like to check this interesting movie http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/scientist/ ..actually a very entertaining back story on the research that lead to the discovery of herbal cannabinoids and their equivalents found already existing in our metabolism

then there is this recent write-up of several studies on herbal medication compared to alcohol or tobacco intoxication and their effects http://www.wakingtimes.com/2015/12/11/study-finds-marijuana-is-much-safer-than-alcohol-or-tobacco/

i'm guessing you're right about the opioids, though I'm not sure how many were terminally ill at the time

cheers

[Credo]

I have a grandchild that I believe may be addicted to opiate based or synthetic pain killers. Most of the rest of the family have been quite hard on him and I recently spent considerable time talking to him (at his request). He had a relatively serious back injury several years back and has been on and off pain killers since. He does not use illegal drugs and all his usage has been by prescription. He has maintained full employment, although his job is one that requires a fair amount of physical exertion.

When he is not on pain killers, he experiences excruciating pain. Of course, if one does get addicted then there is the problem of managing the physical pain as well as the complication of withdrawal.

Managing pain can be very difficult and many people suffer from chronic pain.

[rijit]

Yeah well, no pity there, who ever indulge in drugs and OD on it he only has him/her self to blame...

Can I suggest if you know nothing about a subject not bothering to Say anything , just makes you look stupid

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[rijit]

Legalize and regulate all drugs, so that users will know exactly what and how much they are taking. That would help a lot. The war on drugs has been a complete failure.

Not quite a total failure kept bread on table for thousands of government officers and their families for ?? Decades. God knows how they're gonna do for employment Now there`s a 'softening' on the immediate horizon ,, oh silly me,, terrorism !!

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[Doc46]

Sure as shit this solves the problem for rehabilitation,(that don't work) and saves a lot of money,No one, Absolutely No one is forcing them to take the drugs ,It's a FREE CHOICE,So it's a free choice to kill themselves.Amen!

[Guitar God]

Prescription drug deaths may be up nationwide but they are down in certain states that have one thing in common.

Care to guess the commonality?

"However, in the 13 states that passed laws allowing for the use of medical marijuana between 1999 and 2010, 25 percent FEWER people die from opioid overdoses annually."

{emphasis mine}

http://www.newsweek.com/states-medical-marijuana-painkiller-deaths-drop-25-266577

[Guitar God]

The dose-response curve on opiates can be steep, a tolerance is built up and it takes more to control chronic pain. Sometimes meds(NSAIDs, cox-2 inhibitors etc.) stop working and patients with a tolerance take more of the opiates in an attempt to control the pain to the point where the cns depressant effect makes their body just stop breathing. That's the downside of prescribing drugs which has a fairly low LD50.

[sirineou]

Legalize and regulate all drugs, so that users will know exactly what and how much they are taking. That would help a lot. The war on drugs has been a complete failure.

When I was younger I would smoke weed with my friends, we all knew where to get it,

There was always a guy hanging out by the handball courts, if he was not there the basketball courts across the street on the school, etc etc

We would ask for a dime or nickel bag (I just dated myself )and the dealer would always ask what else we needed, black beauties, mesk , asid, etc etc

We had the good sense to decline, but I am sure, in fact I know, many did not.

That's one way pot can be a "gateway drug",

Legalize it, make it safe, remove the criminal element from it, collect taxes.

But of course you can't legalise all drugs,

Why? because some are truly dangerous !! if some one came out with a food that caused cancer, would yo make it legal? No, of course not,it causes physical damage to the consumer

That's why we have consumer protection agencies.

Then why would you make a drug product that causes physical damage to the consumer legal

[soalbundy]

followed by a reduction in the crime rate and large savings to social security.

[sirineou]

followed by a reduction in the crime rate and large savings to social security.

I got a chuckle out of this, and gave you a like but....

it would be funnier if it was not so tragic, I have a beautiful just turned 20 years old daughter,

She is a popular girl and the woolfs are always sniffing around. I made mistakes and learned from them , and I am sure she will make mistakes also.

All part of life,

I trust her but that does not stop me from worrying. It seems that some of those mistakes have a higher propensity to being faital now days, or at te very least causing long lasting physical and mental problems.

[rijit]

Legalize and regulate all drugs, so that users will know exactly what and how much they are taking. That would help a lot. The war on drugs has been a complete failure.

When I was younger I would smoke weed with my friends, we all knew where to get it,

There was always a guy hanging out by the handball courts, if he was not there the basketball courts across the street on the school, etc etc

We would ask for a dime or nickel bag (I just dated myself )and the dealer would always ask what else we needed, black beauties, mesk , asid, etc etc

We had the good sense to decline, but I am sure, in fact I know, many did not.

That's one way pot can be a "gateway drug",

Legalize it, make it safe, remove the criminal element from it, collect taxes.

But of course you can't legalise all drugs,

Why? because some are truly dangerous !! if some one came out with a food that caused cancer, would yo make it legal? No, of course not,it causes physical damage to the consumer

That's why we have consumer protection agencies.

Then why would you make a drug product that causes physical damage to the consumer legal

I suppose it'll all boil down to education. If you take 50 asprins you know ie your education tells you , you may harm yourself. And as i understand. One the main issues in people getting damage from illegal drugs is they vary so much in strength and quality ,one standard product would help sort that out.

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[sirineou]

Legalize and regulate all drugs, so that users will know exactly what and how much they are taking. That would help a lot. The war on drugs has been a complete failure.

When I was younger I would smoke weed with my friends, we all knew where to get it,

There was always a guy hanging out by the handball courts, if he was not there the basketball courts across the street on the school, etc etc

We would ask for a dime or nickel bag (I just dated myself )and the dealer would always ask what else we needed, black beauties, mesk , asid, etc etc

We had the good sense to decline, but I am sure, in fact I know, many did not.

That's one way pot can be a "gateway drug",

Legalize it, make it safe, remove the criminal element from it, collect taxes.

But of course you can't legalise all drugs,

Why? because some are truly dangerous !! if some one came out with a food that caused cancer, would yo make it legal? No, of course not,it causes physical damage to the consumer

That's why we have consumer protection agencies.

Then why would you make a drug product that causes physical damage to the consumer legal

I suppose it'll all boil down to education. If you take 50 asprins you know ie your education tells you , you may harm yourself. And as i understand. One the main issues in people getting damage from illegal drugs is they vary so much in strength and quality ,one standard product would help sort that out.

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all that you say is true,

but I bet that most these overdoses happen to kids who are too young to make educated decisions and are under pier pressure. IMO we need to protect our kids from predators.

Legalising some drugs can acomplish this goal by removing SOME of the predators, and regulating those involved

I am just a worried parent , that's all.

[ClutchClark]

I have a grandchild that I believe may be addicted to opiate based or synthetic pain killers. Most of the rest of the family have been quite hard on him and I recently spent considerable time talking to him (at his request). He had a relatively serious back injury several years back and has been on and off pain killers since. He does not use illegal drugs and all his usage has been by prescription. He has maintained full employment, although his job is one that requires a fair amount of physical exertion.

When he is not on pain killers, he experiences excruciating pain. Of course, if one does get addicted then there is the problem of managing the physical pain as well as the complication of withdrawal.

Managing pain can be very difficult and many people suffer from chronic pain.

So he.works jobs that require a fair amount of physical exertion while suffering from a relatively serious back injury?

Does anyone else see a failure in the thought process here?

[ClutchClark]

The majority of these drug ODs are Heroin, Smack, Horse.

Why would it benefit a country to legalize Heroin?

The War on Drugs is working. The numbers of useless drug addicts in America would be even more staggering if you could buy any drug you like just like booze.

[Dumbastheycome]

What allows so many to make crass comment is the lack of differentiation in the statistics between deliberate and accidental prescription over dose deaths.

If that differentiation was possible or clarified and thereby showed a dramatic increase in deliberate/ suicide deaths as opposed to accidental it would demonstrate a need to investigate the underlying causes either way.

Sadly such investigation will probably never happen. And for those families who are stigmatized by wrongfull crass commentary in the midst of the loss of a family member regardless of circumstance .......

[sirineou]

The majority of these drug ODs are Heroin, Smack, Horse.

Why would it benefit a country to legalize Heroin?

The War on Drugs is working. The numbers of useless drug addicts in America would be even more staggering if you could buy any drug you like just like booze.

There are legalisation measures that would prove beneficial, If you would read my reply # 13

I also dont believe in the legalization of all drugs, Why would we have some dangerous products controlled by consumer agencies and not others? It would not make any sense.

But having said that, there are some recreational drugs that cause little danger, by allowing those drugs to be dispensed by criminals one subjects the user to associate with criminals and be exposed to other more dangerous drugs and situations also.

[Credo]

I have a grandchild that I believe may be addicted to opiate based or synthetic pain killers. Most of the rest of the family have been quite hard on him and I recently spent considerable time talking to him (at his request). He had a relatively serious back injury several years back and has been on and off pain killers since. He does not use illegal drugs and all his usage has been by prescription. He has maintained full employment, although his job is one that requires a fair amount of physical exertion.

When he is not on pain killers, he experiences excruciating pain. Of course, if one does get addicted then there is the problem of managing the physical pain as well as the complication of withdrawal.

Managing pain can be very difficult and many people suffer from chronic pain.

So he.works jobs that require a fair amount of physical exertion while suffering from a relatively serious back injury?

Does anyone else see a failure in the thought process here?

Try reading the post. He had a relatively serious back injury....

He also had surgery, but still suffers from chronic pain. I don't know what thought process you are referring to.

[ClutchClark]

What allows so many to make crass comment is the lack of differentiation in the statistics between deliberate and accidental prescription over dose deaths.

If that differentiation was possible or clarified and thereby showed a dramatic increase in deliberate/ suicide deaths as opposed to accidental it would demonstrate a need to investigate the underlying causes either way.

Sadly such investigation will probably never happen. And for those families who are stigmatized by wrongfull crass commentary in the midst of the loss of a family member regardless of circumstance .......

Accidental overdose of prescription drugs? Seriously? How does that work?

"He misread the label and took the whole bottle instead of one pill daily"?

As for suicides, Certainly a percentage but did you not read the article?

America has gone to hell with all the drug abuse and it sickens me to see what drugs has done to my Country...nothing crass about it. Drug culture destroys families, destroys social fabric, kills innocent people on the roadways, contributes to domestic violence, finances drug cartels in Latin American countries who bring violence to local populations.

Anyone who is more sickened by a crass comment than these realities is in denial.

[Credo]

It seems like there are some people who need to continue taking their medication.

[ClutchClark]

I have a grandchild that I believe may be addicted to opiate based or synthetic pain killers. Most of the rest of the family have been quite hard on him and I recently spent considerable time talking to him (at his request). He had a relatively serious back injury several years back and has been on and off pain killers since. He does not use illegal drugs and all his usage has been by prescription. He has maintained full employment, although his job is one that requires a fair amount of physical exertion.

When he is not on pain killers, he experiences excruciating pain. Of course, if one does get addicted then there is the problem of managing the physical pain as well as the complication of withdrawal.

Managing pain can be very difficult and many people suffer from chronic pain.

So he.works jobs that require a fair amount of physical exertion while suffering from a relatively serious back injury?

Does anyone else see a failure in the thought process here?

Try reading the post. He had a relatively serious back injury....

He also had surgery, but still suffers from chronic pain. I don't know what thought process you are referring to.

I did read your entire post and I did quote you. He had a serious back injury and has been on and off painkillers since. So either his back injury still bothers him or he enjoys getting high.

And you are right, there appears to be no real thought process going on if someone chooses to keep working physical jobs when those jobs result in chronic pain rather than finding a more sedentary employment.

Nothing personal but after such a lengthy heart-to-heart I don't understand why a new career choice was not suggested for thy loved one that would allow him to live without so much pain? Seems simple.

[sirineou]

What allows so many to make crass comment is the lack of differentiation in the statistics between deliberate and accidental prescription over dose deaths.

If that differentiation was possible or clarified and thereby showed a dramatic increase in deliberate/ suicide deaths as opposed to accidental it would demonstrate a need to investigate the underlying causes either way.

Sadly such investigation will probably never happen. And for those families who are stigmatized by wrongfull crass commentary in the midst of the loss of a family member regardless of circumstance .......

Accidental overdose of prescription drugs? Seriously? How does that work?

"He misread the label and took the whole bottle instead of one pill daily"?

As for suicides, Certainly a percentage but did you not read the article?

America has gone to hell with all the drug abuse and it sickens me to see what drugs has done to my Country...nothing crass about it. Drug culture destroys families, destroys social fabric, kills innocent people on the roadways, contributes to domestic violence, finances drug cartels in Latin American countries who bring violence to local populations.

Anyone who is more sickened by a crass comment than these realities is in denial.

you be surprised how easy it is.

My best best friend dies a few months ago from accidental overdose,

a little more than a year ago he was involved in a very serious work related accident that should had killed him, He was very lucky to be alive but came out of it with a variety of injuries ad broken bones that required pins to heal

All the injuries were healing well, and was looking forward to a complete recovery and a multi million dollar insurance settlement.

Because of his injuries he was under some very strong pain killers, he was always forgetting if he took them and would want more, for that reason we had a dated pill box so he can see if he took them.

He also like having a few drinks,

A few months ago he went on vacation to his condo in Panama City FL , went t sleep and never woke up

The conclusion was that, he had a few drinks , got drunk and forgot about the pain pills he had take,

I was not there dont know what happen but the combination of Pain killers ad alcohol killed him.

He was only 50 years old and the nicest man you ever want to meet, We would watch the sunday football games together every year , This year I have not watched one game yet, just not the same

I would never have a friend like him again I miss him very much,

[Credo]

He is a young man, married with 1 child, working full-time and going to University part-time. He has chronic back pain. His pain is there whether he works or not. It may be a contributing factor and that's why I mentioned it.

The point is that not all people who end up having a problem with prescription drugs does so because they like getting high. If he liked getting high, I wonder why he doesn't drink (and never has) or smoke weed (and never has).

[Dumbastheycome]

What allows so many to make crass comment is the lack of differentiation in the statistics between deliberate and accidental prescription over dose deaths.

If that differentiation was possible or clarified and thereby showed a dramatic increase in deliberate/ suicide deaths as opposed to accidental it would demonstrate a need to investigate the underlying causes either way.

Sadly such investigation will probably never happen. And for those families who are stigmatized by wrongfull crass commentary in the midst of the loss of a family member regardless of circumstance .......

Accidental overdose of prescription drugs? Seriously? How does that work?

"He misread the label and took the whole bottle instead of one pill daily"?

As for suicides, Certainly a percentage but did you not read the article?

America has gone to hell with all the drug abuse and it sickens me to see what drugs has done to my Country...nothing crass about it. Drug culture destroys families, destroys social fabric, kills innocent people on the roadways, contributes to domestic violence, finances drug cartels in Latin American countries who bring violence to local populations.

Anyone who is more sickened by a crass comment than these realities is in denial.

Denial? A genuine pain sufferer who has incrementally aqcuired a loss of pharmacutical relief for pain ( and has never been councilled in self pain control) and in desparation and disorientated loss of your "purest" reality takes an ever increasing dosage to the point of chemical poisoning is an accidental mortality.

But is numbered amongst those who abuse recreational substances!

May you enjoy your blind purism and never need to witness .

[Pinot]

Yeah well, no pity there, who ever indulge in drugs and OD on it he only has him/her self to blame...

Too easy to just say screw em. Some people are weak and destined to be drug addicts. And then there are people who had no choice.

Many of these addicts got introduced to opiates because of injuries or legitimate reasons to use them. Legitimate up until now. The fact that treatment with opiates is a direct path to drug addiction is now a "thing".

And that's a good thing. This has got to change. I wonder if anything could be tackled on a bipartisan basis with the current atmosphere.

[luckizuchinni]

I was watching Drug Inc on tv. OK, it was tv, but many of the addicts they interviewed said they had all OD'd and come close to dying. One of the reasons a talking head said was that the cartels are bringing in more and more pure drugs, and people who were used to taking x-amount were still taking x- amount of the newer, purer product.

When following the EMT crews, they cameramen went on a call for an OD. The young woman was dead. She had started taking prescription pain meds only six or seven months earlier, and now she was dead on the floor of her apartment. The medical examiner said she probably underestimated the strength of the illegal drugs she had just taken.