Roughly 12% of Americans use illegal drugs, and 53 million people in the US used illegal drugs or misused prescription drugs within the last year. The Facts on drug abuse With the explosion of the opioid epidemic, more Americans are becoming aware of the dangers of drug addiction than ever before, but the problem has […]
2020 brought major disruption and change to almost every area of our lives. Among the biggest: changes in our work and travel patterns. With many businesses temporarily closed and offices emptied of workers assigned to work from home, traffic on our highways thinned out temporarily, too. Given that change, it’s concerning that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that traffic fatalities actually went up during that time. 2020 also saw a bump in substance abuse, and part of that increase, they attributed to an increase in drunk and drugged driving.
Drug overdose deaths have reached an unprecedented high in the US, with an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths occurring between April 2020 and April 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is a 30% increase from the previous year, an alarming fact that has many contributing causes. Recognized on August 31 every year, Overdose Awareness Day is designed to draw attention to this ongoing tragedy and inspire action to prevent more deaths.
What is xylazine? It’s a new drug being mixed with fentanyl that has very dangerous side effects. It’s often called “tranq dope” or “zombie drug” because it’s a non-opioid sedative. Because it’s not a narcotic, its effects can’t be reversed with a dose of naloxone (Narcan), meaning that overdoses can easily end up being fatal. Beyond that, it causes the death of soft tissue, leading to gruesome, blackened wounds that can warrant amputation.
You’re probably wondering, Why is fentanyl legal in some places? For starters, let’s talk about the difference between decriminalizing and legalizing.
It’s probably the No. 1 question we hear from family members or loved ones of those with a substance use disorder: Why is quitting drugs so hard? It would be great if there was a simple answer. Both biological and psychological factors play into the “why” questions of drug addiction. Not only does your brain chemistry change when using drugs, but there are the underlying causes of why the drug usage started in the first place. In order to break the cycle of addiction, both factors need to be addressed together.