T-Roy

T-Roy

Want to know more about T-Roy? Get their official bio, social pages & articles on iHeartRadio!Full Bio

 

DRUG CRISIS: 2020 Overdose Deaths Hit Staggering High

US-PRESCRIPTION-DRUGS-DEA

93,000 people died of overdoses last year, 21,000 more than the previous high.Photo: AFP

TeeRoy's 2 Cents:

The Biden administration needs to continue the offensive against the opioid industry that Trump started.

You have to wonder how many lives could have been saved were it not for such strict lockdowns early in the pandemic.

Our criminal justice system needs to stop being so punitive toward addicts. That doesn't solve anything.

93,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year. That's 21,000 more than the previous high.

Experts say that lockdowns further isolated those dealing with addiction and other mental health issues. And coronavirus restrictions made it harder to get treatment.

Sociologist Shannon Monnat of Syracuse University says there's no evidence that drug use actually increased last year. She says there were two problems:

The increased presence of fentanyl in the drug supply -- and not just in opioids.

Eviction moratoriums and increased unemployment benefits left addicts with more money to buy drugs.

Experts say the proliferation of fentanyl means that overdose deaths probably won't drop in 2021, either. (CBS News)


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content