Yearly US Overdose Deaths Top 100,000 for the First Time
Summary from the AllSides News Team
An estimated 100,306 Americans died of drug overdoses from April 2020 to April 2021, the CDC reported Wednesday.
The CDC previously said there were 78,056 overdose deaths from April 2019 to April 2020 and 93,000 overdose deaths in 2020. Health officials attributed the deaths to the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevalence of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. According to data from The Washington Post, synthetic opioids accounted for 64,178 deaths from April 2020 to April 2021, more than the total number of overdose deaths in 2016. While most states saw increases in overdose deaths, four states saw decreases: Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey and South Dakota.
Original coverage was more common and more prominently featured in center- and left-rated outlets on Wednesday afternoon. Large center- and left-rated outlets were more likely to use maps, graphs and tables to visualize drug overdose data. Otherwise, coverage was mostly balanced across the spectrum.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 12 months during the pandemic
The U.S. drug epidemic reached another terrible milestone Wednesday when the government announced that more than 100,000 people had died of overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021. It is the first time that drug-related deaths have reached six figures in any 12-month period.
The people who died — 275 every day — would fill the stadium where the University of Alabama plays football. Together, they equal the population of Roanoke, Va.
There are now more overdose deaths from the illegal synthetic opioid fentanyl than there were overdose deaths from all drugs in 2016.
From the Left
US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say 
An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year, a never-before-seen milestone that health officials say is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply.
Overdose deaths have been rising for more than two decades, accelerated in the past two years and, according to new data posted Wednesday, jumped nearly 30% in the latest year.
President Joe Biden called it “a tragic milestone” in a statement, as administration officials pressed Congress to devote billions of dollars more to address the problem.
“This is unacceptable and...
From the Right
U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Reach Record High
Drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in the United States between April 2020 and April 2021, a record high, per the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
The estimated 100,306 deaths during that window represented a 29 percent increase from the estimated 78,056 overdose deaths during the same period last year, according to the latest CDC data.
“It’s telling us that 2021 looks like it will be worse than 2020,” Robert Anderson, head of the mortality statistics branch at the NHCS, told the Wall Street Journal.
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