You’re More Likely to Overdose on Opioids Than Die in a Car Accident in the U.S.
The most recent statistics in the United States are proving that the drug crisis is continuing to surge forward and is getting worse to the point where the most likely ways to die are now being surpassed by drugs.
War, AIDS, tobacco, and car accidents are no longer the leading causes of death in the United States. The drug problem here is so pervasive that its morbid effects are felt across the board in every town, city, and state across America.
The National Safety Council recently released a new report that stated that Americans will more often lose their lives to drug overdoses than motor vehicle accidents.
Actually, recent data suggests that Americans have a 1 in 96 chance of falling victim to a drug overdose, whereas perishing in a car crash is a 1 in 103 chance. That’s a staggering statistic. Car crashes have long been one of the leading causes of death in this country and once again, the opioid crisis has surpassed it and broken another awful record.
One of the unfortunate parts of the opioid crisis is that painkillers are some of the most used and abused narcotics in the world and they’re completely legal to obtain and consume. All it takes is surgery or an injury and a prescription from the doctor to start down the path of addiction in today’s day and age.
Our society has to be more vigilant against drug abuse and more careful than ever because drugs seem to lurk around every corner; more often than not, being pedaled by a drug dealer in a lab coat.
An estimated 60 people die each day in the United States as a result of an opioid overdose. Luckily Narcan has become popularized and is currently being carried by most emergency responders and even civilians. The drug has been a life-saver in overdose crises across the country and has allowed addicts to have the chance to enter treatment and handle their problem rather than perishing at the scene and dying in their car.
While heart disease, cancer, suicide, and respiratory problems are still the leading causes of death in the United States, an opioid overdose in the next in line on that list and that’s extremely frightening.
This is just proof, yet again, that the opioid problem continues to deepen and worsen and we haven’t made too much progress yet in solving this thing.
Almost every month brings more terrible news to the table in regard to our nation’s drug problem and I know I say this a lot, but we really, really, really need to look at the current way we’re trying to deal with this issue and whatever it is, we should do the opposite.
That’s my opinion because what we’re doing isn’t working—rather it’s probably making it worse.
Suboxone, methadone, and Vivitrol are the “gold standard” for treating opioid addiction. Is it really helping, or is it hurting? These recent statistics pretty much prove the latter.
Sources Used:
http://www.fox13news.com/health/americans-more-likely-to-die-of-opioid-overdose-than-in-car-crash
