The opioid epidemic: reduce deaths

An estimated 49,000 people in the United States died in 2017 as a result of opioid abuse or addiction. And while there is evidence that the number of deaths is starting to decline, a recent study published in JAMA showed the areas most affected by the ongoing epidemic.

The study focuses on opioid-related deaths between 1999 and 2016. Researchers at the Center of Population Health Sciences and Stanford University found alarming trends regarding the use of opioids and mortality rates.

The largest decrease in overall life expectancy was observed in the states of New Hampshire and West Virginia. Across the country, the average decrease in life expectancy, related to opioid use, is about 0.36 years. However, in the most affected areas, life expectancy has been reduced by about a year.

The researchers first found that the synthetic opioid-related death rate doubled every two years during this period in 28 US states. The state with the largest increase was observed in the District of Columbia. In this region, opioid mortality rates tripled each year between 2013 and 2016.

Synthetic opioids include drugs like fentanyl, synthetic drugs and more dangerous than natural opioids like morphine or codeine. Fentanyl, for example, would be up to fifty times more potent than heroin.

As one of the researchers pointed out, Matthew Kiang: "Heroin continues to become more and more powerful in the eastern United States, while heroin [in] the West of the United States has always been this tar brown heroin.

"It's a lot harder to tie with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. One thing I want to emphasize is that, despite the significant differences between deaths in states, there is no evidence to suggest that there are differences in use.

Research shows that as more and more people turn to synthetic opioids rather than natural or semi-natural opioids, the number of deaths could increase if the problem is not resolved. In particular, the experts recommend that, to solve the problem, synthetic opioid tests be generalized in the United States in order to provide appropriate medical care and advice.