Deaths by drug overdose have surged in Ohio and the United States, with a majority of states recording increases from 2009 to 2013, according to a study released on Wednesday.
Across the country, 44,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2013, more than double the number in 1999, the study by the non-profit group Trust for America’s Health found. Nearly 52 percent of the deaths were related to prescription drugs.
The number of overdose deaths increased in 26 states in the time frame. Ohio was among them, with 19.2 deaths per 100,000 people. Deaths decreased in only six states, the report found.
West Virginia had the highest number of drug overdose deaths per capita in the time period studied, with 33.5 fatalities for every 100,000 people. North Dakota had the lowest with 2.6 per 100,000.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared prescription drug abuse an epidemic in the United States, and all states except Missouri now have drug-monitoring programs.
Over the past year, Ohio and other northeastern states have increased the availability of naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of overdoses caused by opioids, which include pharmaceuticals like Vicodin and illicit substances such as heroin.
While the lifesaving effects of naloxone are difficult to quantify because of the newness of its widespread use, a 2010 review of 188 communities found that it helped reverse more than 10,000 overdoses, the report said.
WHAT CAN STATES DO TO HELP OFFSET RISING DRUG AB– — USE DEATH RATES?
The study authors say all states should implement prescription drug monitoring programs along with databases that track the prescription and distribution of such drugs. Only half of the states have that in place. The authors also argued for improved prevention, education and access to treatment.
In order to help those who are overdosing, the report’s authors argue that states should pass more laws easing access to rescue drugs like naloxone.
Drug overdose deaths exceeded motor vehicle-related fatalities in 36 states, it said. The 90-page report also looks at injuries, including car crashes, homicides, suicides and traumatic brain injury, resulted in nearly 193,000 deaths and is the leading cause of death for Americans ages one to 44, according to the report.
(Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Lisa Lambert)
