Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fatal Overdoses Spike Over 5 Years; Fentanyl Deaths Rise 279%
ABC News: Fentanyl Overdose Deaths Surged 279% Since 2016 While Heroin Deaths Fell: CDC
The rate of drug overdose deaths linked to fentanyl in the United States has skyrocketed over the last five years, new federal data showed. The rate of overdose deaths involving fentanyl spiked by 279% between 2016 and 2021 from 5.7 per 100,000 to 21.6 per 100,000, according to a report published early Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics' National Vital Statistics System -- which looked at death certificate records. (Kekatos, 5/3)
Bloomberg: Fentanyl Overdose Death Rates More Than Tripled In Five Years
Drug overdose death rates involving fentanyl more than tripled in the US from 2016 to 2021, a grim marker in the escalation of the deadly opioid epidemic that worsened during the rise of Covid-19. (Peng, 5/3)
In related news —
Politico: Covid-19 Inflamed The Opioid Crisis, Particularly For Black Americans
White House officials for years warned that opioids were becoming rampant in Black communities. Then came Covid-19. In 2020, the rate of drug overdose deaths among Black Americans skyrocketed, increasing faster than that of any other racial or ethnic group in the country. Fentanyl, which had become more ubiquitous, drove the rising toll. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report showing that more Black Americans died from fentanyl overdoses than from any other drug in 2021 and at far higher rates than whites or Hispanics. (Mahr, 5/3)
More on the opioid epidemic —
AP: Washington State To Decriminalize Drugs Unless Lawmakers Act
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is calling lawmakers back to work after they rejected a bill setting out a new statewide drug policy — a development that has put the state on the brink of decriminalizing possession of fentanyl and other drugs while also depriving it of much-needed investments in public health. Lawmakers adjourned their regular session late last month after voting down a bill that would keep drug possession illegal and boost services for people struggling with addiction. Many liberal Democrats objected to criminalizing drugs, while conservative Democrats and Republicans insisted they must be to provide incentive for people to enter treatment. (Johnson, 5/3)
AP: Wisconsin Legislators Approve Opioid Settlement Payout
Wisconsin legislators decided Tuesday to accept the state’s share of a settlement stemming from another multistate lawsuit accusing drug manufacturers and distributors of contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis. A coalition of states and local governments secured settlements in November and December with opioid manufacturers Teva and Allergan as well as with pharmaceutical chains Walmart, Walgreens and CVS totaling $19.2 billion. (5/2)
The Wall Street Journal: Nearly 300 Arrested In ‘Dark Web’ Fentanyl Crackdown
International authorities have shut down an online marketplace and arrested nearly 300 people who allegedly used it and other parts of the so-called dark web to buy and sell fentanyl and other dangerous opioids, in a sweep officials said underscores how hard it is to stem the tide of drug trafficking in the internet’s hidden corners. The operation went on for more than 18 months and spanned three continents, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Law-enforcement agencies also seized more than $53 million in cash and virtual currencies, along with guns and nearly 2,000 pounds of drugs. (Gurman and Volz, 5/2)
