US Drug Overdose Deaths Top 100K for the 1st Time

For the first time ever, the United States has recorded more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths in a year.

The deaths, which occurred in the 12-month period ending in April, represent a 28.5 percent increase from the year before, according to federal data released Wednesday. Of the 100,306 fatalities, 75,673 were caused by opioids, according to the data.

“As we continue to make strides to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot overlook this epidemic of loss, which has touched families and communities across the country,” says President Joe Biden. “My Administration is committed to doing everything in our power to address addiction and end the overdose epidemic.”

Has the opioid epidemic gotten worse because officials have been too busy with COVID to properly address it?