Nationally, deaths due to drug overdose and suicide increased last year according to data released today by the National Centers for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and analyzed by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT).
In 2017, 70,237 Americans died from drug overdoses, a rate of 21.7 deaths per 100,000 people. In comparison, 63,600 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016, a rate of 19.8 deaths per 100,000. Nationally, the 2017 rate was 9.6 percent higher than the 2016 rate.
In 2017, 47,173 Americans died by suicide. Suicide accounted for 14.0 deaths per 100,000 in 2017, up from 13.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2016— a 3.7 percent increase. Between 1999 and 2017, the age-adjusted suicide rate increased 33 percent from 10.5 per 100,000 deaths to 14.0 per 100,000.
According to TFAH’s and WBT’s analysis:
“Just one person dying from a preventable cause is one death too many,” said Benjamin F. Miller, Psy.D., Chief Strategy Officer, WBT. “Evidence provides clear ways to more proactively address issues of substance misuse and help build resiliency in our communities, but, our country has not yet prioritized investing in prevention and intervention. If we continue to fail to put dollars and common sense into a systematic approach to prevention and treatment, we’ll never ensure optimal health and well-being for our nation.”
In addition, the analysis found that, while the number of drug overdose deaths continues to be historically and tragically high nationwide, the epidemic continues to have a differential impact in some population groups, comparing 2016 to 2017:
“Another year of increasing numbers of drug overdose deaths is a national emergency, that can’t be overstated,” said John Auerbach, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Trust for America’s Health. “Government and the healthcare sector at all levels must adopt a comprehensive approach and strengthen efforts to prevent substance misuse and suicide attempts by addressing their underlying causes. We face a crisis that requires a multi-faceted response and the skills of the public health sector.”
Last year, TFAH and WBT released Pain in the Nation: The Drug, Alcohol and Suicides Epidemics and the Need for a National Resilience Strategy, which included recommendations for evidence-based policies and programs that federal, state, and local officials should put in place or extend to address drug misuse and save lives. These recommendations include:
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to influence the outcome of the 2024…
Before 2011, earmarks were a frequent source of corruption and furthering of personal agendas by…
The Biden administration is creating regulations at an historic pace and it's making everything so…
The U.S. economy is showing signs of stagflation as growth slumps down and prices continue…