The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Source:
Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:38 PM
Report: Opiod Overdoses Increased 30% From Last Year In 2017
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the country is facing a fast-moving epidemic.
Multiple states saw emergency room visits due to suspected opioid overdoses skyrocket over the last year.
ER Visits due to Opioid Overdoses
Illinois: 64%
Pennsylvania: 80%
Delaware: 105%
Wisconsin: 108%
"We saw increases in every geographic region, increases in men and women, increases in all adult age groups," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the acting director of the CDC.
The CDC reported that overdoses kill about five people every hour across the country with victims totaling 5,400 more in 2016 then the soldiers who died during the entire Vietnam War.
"The potency and toxicity of what's on the street is very high right now," said Schuchat. "So we think there probably is not an increase in people using drugs, but there is an increase in the danger associated with a single use."
You can learn more about opioids to help try to protect yourself and loved ones from abuse, addiction, and overdose here.