Acting CDC chief: Drug overdose deaths are the highest ever in the US. Here’s what we must do now

The stories and headlines are far too common these days, featuring individuals, families and communities devastated by opioid addiction. But with more than 100 Americans dying each day from opioid overdoses – in every city and town across the nation – it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been personally impacted by this epidemic.

Unfortunately, new federal Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) data reveal that opioid overdoses continue to increase among men and women, most age groups, across all regions and in most states.

CDC’s latest Vital Signs report found that in just over a year, emergency department visits for suspected opioid overdoses increased 30 percent in all parts of the U.S. The most dramatic increase was in the Midwest, which saw a 70 percent jump in opioid overdoses.

In addition, our report revealed rate increases in every demographic group, including: men (30 percent); women (24 percent); people between the ages of 25 and 34 (31 percent); 35- to 54-year-olds (36 percent); and those 55 and older (32 percent).

And the increases weren’t limited to small towns or rural areas. Opioid overdoses in large metropolitan areas rose by 54 percent.

 Source : foxnews