WASHINGTON (Washington Insider Magazine) – According to a recent bipartisan congressional report issued Tuesday, the drug overdose crisis in the United States, which is now predominantly fueled by synthetic opioids such as ultra-deadly fentanyl, costs the country nearly $1 trillion every year.
The report offers a comprehensive look at the opioid issue, with a focus on the urgency to better mental health services and increase access to healthcare for those struggling with substance abuse.
Three years ago, the overall cost of the opioid problem was estimated to be $700 billion by the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Based on an increase in overdose fatalities since 2018, the new $1 trillion figure is derived in the new research.
Fatal overdoses have doubled in recent years, rising from over 44,000 in 2013 to more than 100,000 by April 2021. According to the survey, overdose occurrences kill more people in the United States each year than guns, homicide, suicide, or automobile accidents combined.
“Authorities are largely flying blind” when it refers to recognizing the want for synthetic opioids, according to the report’s authors.
According to ABC NEWS, tracking fentanyl is challenging, especially when it is blended with other chemicals, such as counterfeit tablets, which consumers may not realize are fake.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, a series of targeted raids conducted across the United States last year as a section of the latest government crackdown on fake prescription drugs resulted in the confiscation of 1.8 million fake pills, with authorities seeing an increase in the number of fake pills containing fentanyl. The amount of fentanyl-laced pills recovered during the enforcement crackdown was more than enough to kill 700,000 individuals at the time.
The bipartisan commission that prepared the over 500-page study is chaired by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Rep. David Trone, D-Md.
Trone is dedicated to combating the opioid issue because his 24-year-old nephew ended up dead of fentanyl abuse in 2016. His continuous effort on the topic has been inspired by that family tragedy.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced this week the commencement of a new enforcement program targeted at disrupting illegal drug distribution networks across the nation. The DEA has already identified a large number of networks that are known to distribute methamphetamines or fentanyl.
However, the latest congressional study makes it apparent that a public health response is also required. Buprenorphine and methadone, two drugs used to treat opioid addiction and withdrawal symptoms, have been recognized as two of the most helpful treatment options.
