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Saturday, October 20, 2018

The Staggering Numbers Behind America's Opioid Epidemic

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50, who are now more likely to die from a drug overdose than from car accidents or firearms. The United States has the dubious distinction of having the highest percentage of drug-related deaths in the world.

However, while opioid abuse is a nationwide problem, Visual Capitalist's Nick Routley notes that there are specific areas that are being hit harder by this epidemic. Using the location data above, from NORC at the University of Chicago, we can see clusters of counties that have an extremely high rate of overdose deaths. Between 2012 and 2016, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio saw a combined 18,000 deaths related to opioid abuse.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about all those toxic / addictive drugs put out by the FDA / Pharmaceutical companies and prescribed by Doctors that get paid to prescribe this toxic medicines? Not necessary opioids either.

Anonymous said...

Solution—Don’t do heroin. Problem solved.

Anonymous said...

The drugs kill them but there is a surplus of apathy and loss of hope for peoples that fall into this trap. It's not just addiction. They can't make ends meet and thinking they were living the dream were ill situated to have children and unprepared and educated to compete in the new economy that has little room for menial laborers and unskilled factory workers anymore. Back in the day when there was no work people moved to where there was work. Now they just stay where they are with blubbering family associations and security. I am from a turn of the century immigrant eastern European family and we followed the WORK where ever it was Pittsburgh, Detroit, California, lol the Eastern Shore where we settled with a 160 acre farm. The locals did not like it but we had been around the nation and WORKED. This opioid crisis has deeper roots.....it's not just hippies tuning out It's good meaning people that have lost their way and perhaps their faith in this machine and it needs to be addressed so with some Christian compassion and out reach.

katyzade said...

I blame doctors. They're good at prescribing these drugs, no good at all at telling someone how to taper off. They cut people off then in the agony of withdrawal these people go to the heroin dealers. Why should removal of wisdom teeth get you a prescription of Percocet? An oral surgeon sent it eldest son out after surgery with a script for 36 Percocet! I made sure not to fill it. Two days on ibuprofen was all he needed. Unwary parents have been led to think these opioids aren't dangerous. They are very misled.