In a new report published by the National Safety Council, chances of dying from opioids have increased like never before. In the United States, it is the first time when being killed by overdose of opioid is more than car crash.
Opioids overdose bagged the fifth position for preventable death, based on 2017 the National Center for Health Statistics data. Dying in a vehicular crash is one in 103, as compared to one in 96 through opioids overdose. Cancer, heart disease, suicide, and chronic lower respiratory disease are some other crucial factors leading to death in US.
Opioids contributed up to 69 percent of deaths in 2016, leading to 37,814 deaths, as per NSC. These opioids include prescription painkillers, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone and illegal narcotics including heroin. In 2017, number of deaths due to opioids climbed to 70,000 according to Center for Disease Control’s (CDC).
Bipartisan law binding its excess
Last year in October, US President Donald Trump sign up an opioid law. The bipartisan law extended medical remedy for opioid users and challenged mailing of illicit drugs. This law extends access of substance abuse treatment in the government health insurance programme for the disabled and poor and in Medicaid.
In addition, it also onslaught on mailed shipment of illicit drugs such as fentanyl. Further, it invites host of new federal grants to address the crisis.
Last year, Trump declared opioid addiction a 90-day emergency, but failed to combat in this crisis debated critics. They also pointed out that Trump has previously attempted to extract billions of dollars from Medicaid, which actually treated one-third of people seeking help with substance abuse.
