Cocaine Deaths Hit Record High; Next Wave Of Addiction Crisis Is Here

While the total number of fatal drug overdoses nationwide has plateaued for six consecutive months, stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine have triggered the next wave of the addiction crisis.

In the 12-month period ending in March 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that overdose deaths from cocaine spiked 22% from prior year to 14,205.

Annual drug overdose data shows the addiction crisis has been developing for almost four decades, and the explosion in the rate of growth increased sharply after the financial crisis of 2007-2008 with the introduction of the opioid epidemic. In the 12-month period ending in March 2018, 46,655 people died from opioid overdoses, a small decline of 2.7% from the top of 47,944 in 2017.

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