Pandemic and fentanyl have driven drug record overdose deaths in the U.S.

Percentage change in all fatal drug overdoses from the 12 months ending in June 2019 to the 12 months ending in May 2020. CDC map; click the image to enlarge it.

The coronavirus pandemic and an influx of fentanyl have driven record drug overdose deaths in the U.S. between June 2019 and June 2020, according according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in December 2020. "

"The Ohio Valley, an early epicenter of the opioid crisis, saw overdose fatalities soar, and in parts of the region the rate of increase surpassed the national average," Corinne Boyer reports for Ohio Valley ReSource.

Overdose deaths spiked in 10 Western states as well, driven mainly by fentanyl. "The increases are particularly troubling for rural counties in those states, some of which have the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths in the country," Liz Carey reports for The Daily Yonder. 

Overdose deaths related to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl increased more than 98%, according to the report. Out of 38 jurisdictions, 37 saw increases in such deaths from the 12-month period ending in June 2019 to the 12-month period ending in May 2020, Carey reports.

The geographic shift is noteworthy, the report says: "Historically, deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl have been concentrated in the 28 states east of the Mississippi River…In contrast, the largest increases in synthetic opioid deaths from the 12-months ending in June 2019 to the 12-months ending in May 2020 occurred in 10 western states (98.0% increase)."

People in Western states who use opioids recreationally tend to use a heroin variety that reacts poorly with fentanyl, so fentanyl hasn't been as deadly there. But starting in 2018 fentanyl deaths began rising in Western states because fentanyl was contaminating other drugs or disguised to look like it. So someone might believe they were taking a Xanax but were actually taking fentanyl, Carey reports.

Some public officials say the coronavirus pandemic has also contributed to the increase in overdose deaths, Carey reports. Tom Jeanne of the Oregon Health Authority said in a recent statement: "Food insecurity and disruptions in access to safe housing and mental health services have compounded stress from job losses, school and social isolation, and other problems brought on by the pandemic." Jeanne noted that the pandemic had also made it more difficult for people with substance use disorder to attend 12-step programs or access addiction clinics.

Many addiction treatment programs moved to a virtual setting after pandemic shutdowns, but that's not practical for people with limited or no internet access, Boyer reports. One clinic in Lexington, Ky., provided wi-fi access so people could participate in group therapy sessions from their cars. For those without a phone or internet, the clinic created an isolated space in the clinic with computers for telehealth visits.