Overdose Deaths Outrank Car Crash Fatalities. The opioid epidemic shows no sign of slowing down in the United States as reported deaths from opioid overdoses now outrank car accident fatalities, according to a National Safety Council (NSC) study.
The report, ‘Injury facts’ is based on the National Center for Health Statistics’ (NCHS) 2017 data, and reveals that opioid overdose is the fifth most apparent cause of preventable deaths, with one-in-96 odds. The chances of dying in a vehicle accident are one-in-103.
“The nation’s opioid crisis is fuelling the Council’s grim probabilities, and that crisis is worsening with an influx of illicit fentanyl” read a statement from the group.
“The opioid crisis remains an abstract issue for many people; they still believe it will not happen to them, or it isn’t a risk facing them or their family,” Maureen Vogel, a representative for the NSC, revealed to CBS News.
The report reveals the gravity of the opioid crisis issue
The report has revealed the gravity of the opioid crisis which needs urgent steps to be taken to reverse what can be prevented.
The assessments used in the group’s study are based on 2017 mortality data from the NCHS, part of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The council likewise found the lifetime chances of death for opioid overdose were higher than the danger of death from falls, pedestrian incidents, fire or drowning. In 2017, the preventable deaths rose by 5.5 % to nearly 169,000 deaths, the council mentioned.
The NSC is a non-profit organization that brings out statistics on preventable deaths in the U.S. which alludes to the deaths that aren’t because of natural causes, for example, any disease, or due to intentional harm, such as homicide or suicide.
Fentanyl is an extremely powerful opioid
In a report published in December, from 1999 to 2016, approximately 9,000 children and youth died from opioid poisoning. Another report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse revealed that in 2017, opioid overdose led to deaths of more than 49,000 people.
In 2015, more than 52,000 people succumbed to the drug overdoses, nearly two-thirds of which were associated with opioids like Percocet, OxyContin, heroin, and fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times more intense than heroin or cocaine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Opioid abuse and mental illness are connected
In many cases, it has been noticed that Mental illness prompts the opioid misuse, and it has also been reported that drug misuse may cause individuals to encounter symptoms of mental illness. No family should go through this deadly ritual, and no one should die from overdosing on opioids.
Help at Akua Mind and body
Most often, when individuals are vigorous in their opioid addiction, they feel like phantoms in their own lives. At Akua Mind and Body, we can enable you to begin to feel present once more.
Akua Mind and Body is a widely acclaimed opioid treatment center in California. We believe that recovery is best fulfilled in a safe setting where you can develop the tools you need to overcome challenges. To learn more about our treatment programs, please call our 24/7 Admissions helpline at 833-AKUA-NOW for a confidential assessment.
