In the United States, opioid abuse has become an epidemic. However, over the past year, there is some hope that this epidemic is beginning to reverse. Opioid deaths have decreased by 16.9% in the last year.
Why have deaths decreased? According The economistno one is sure:
One possibility is a supply shock…the amount of fentanyl in the pills they intercept has decreased. Some reports suggest that the Sinaloa cartel, a huge Mexican organized crime group, has stopped smuggling fentanyl due to American pressure. Two high-ranking members were arrested in July, including the son of El Chapo, one of the founders of Sinaloa. However, experts say it’s too early to be sure.
Another possibility is that the decline represents a return to pre-pandemic norms…
When Covid-19 hit, opioid overdoses skyrocketed. It’s hard to say why, but it seems intuitive: Hospitals were full of Covid patients, many treatment centers had closed, and more people were experiencing the kind of traumatic losses that can cause them to turn to drugs.[Third, the] The epidemic may simply be “winding down”, suggests Professor Ciccarone. The theory is that the most vulnerable have already died, that those who remain understand the danger of fentanyl and, therefore, new addicts do not replace them.
Whatever the reason, let’s hope this trend toward fewer drug-related deaths continues.
US Opioid Epidemic: A Brief History
The CDC describes the opioid abuse epidemic as a 3 waves.
- First wave (prescription opioids (1999-2009): The first wave began with increased opioid prescribing in the 1990s. Overdose deaths related to prescription opioids (natural and semisynthetic opioids and methadone) increased beginning in 1999. but they have decreased in recent years.
- Second wave: heroin (2010-2012): The second wave began in 2010, with rapid increases in heroin overdose deaths. However, in recent years deaths from heroin overdoses have been decreasing.
- Third wave: synthetic opioids (2013-present): The third wave began in 2013, with substantial increases in synthetic opioid overdose deaths, particularly those related to illegally manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogues (FMI). The IMF has saturated the supply of illegal drugs. They are often found in powder or tablet form in counterfeit pills and can be mixed with other medications. More recently, non-opioid sedatives, such as xylazine, have been found mixed with FMI.
