Study: Deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide hit record highs in the United States

June 12 (UPI) – Americans who die of drugs, alcohol and suicides hit a record high, according to a study released Wednesday.

A study by the Commonwealth Fund, a health care advocacy group, details the increase in overdoses and suicides in a "dashboard" that uses data dating back to 2017. Drug overdoses are more common. in West Virginia and Ohio, has 46 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively.

"When we look at what is happening in the mid-Atlantic states – West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania – these are the states that have the highest rates of drug overdose deaths in the country," Radley said. senior scientist of the Commonwealth. Funds, told NBC News.

"The rate of growth in the number of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia is absolutely staggering."

West Virginia also experienced the largest increase in overdose deaths. In 2005, it recorded less than 11 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Pennsylvania and Delaware were also among the high-growth, high-growth states for overdose deaths.

"At the national level, death rates from suicide, alcohol and drug overdoses have each increased dramatically over the last decade," the report says. "The recent strong growth in the number of drug overdose deaths is extremely alarming."

The research points out that the rate of overdose deaths in the United States more than doubled between 2005 and 2017 and increased significantly between 2016 and 2017.

"[That is] The number of alcohol-related suicides and deaths is also of concern and represents another sign of complex socio-economic and behavioral problems. "

The report indicates that suicide rates in the United States have increased by almost 30% since 2005, while alcohol-related deaths have steadily increased by about 4% for most of the decade.

The Commonwealth Fund compiled the report from data from 50 states and Washington, and monitored nearly 50 factors affecting health, such as health insurance, access to doctors , obesity and lifestyle risks. He assigned each state a score based on these factors.

Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Washington, Connecticut and Vermont had the best overall scores. But the study showed that states varied across all three types of deaths. Twelve states scored poorly on suicides and alcohol-related deaths, while 13 states had high rates of drug-related deaths.