Opioids have been the cause of nearly 727 thousand overdose deaths in the United States. According to the CDC, about 76% of the nearly 108 thousand people who died from drug overdose in 2022 involved opioids. In fact, the number of deaths in 2022 is 10 times what it was since the late 90s.
In September, NPR reported that for the first time in decades, public health data is showing an unprecedented drop in drug overdose deaths across the United States – about 10.6% – from April of 2023 to April of 2024. And states like Ohio and Michigan — and here in Minnesota — are beginning to report statewide decreases as well. Minnesota’s drug overdose deaths actually dropped by 8% last year — its first decline since 2018.
On this episode of Saint Mary’s Currents, Jon Roesler, assistant professor and program director of Public Health programs, discusses what happens when drugs that are designed to heal contribute to a crisis, how prescription opioids changed the drug landscape in the past 30 years, and what’s different now.
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Listen or share this episode using the following link: Opioid Epidemic with Jon Roesler
