What are the Deadliest Drugs in the U.S.?

The Center for Disease Control Names Top-Most Life-Threatening Drugs

With drugs becoming more potent than ever before, the list of top-most dangerous and deadly drugs are changing. The Center for Disease Control has released the most recent report surrounding the most lethal drugs, both illicit and licit, in th e U.S. unfortunately, a large percentage of drug-related fatalities were a result of abused prescription medications that were prescribed by a doctor. The over-prescription and abuse of powerfully addictive drugs are responsible for countless deaths each and every year; a chilling and sobering statistic that needs to be reversed immediately.

2016 was a particularly bad year for drug-related deaths as a result of extremely potent drug additives such as fentanyl. Some of the deadliest drugs are:

• Methamphetamine
• Heroin
• Fentanyl
• Cocaine
• Methadone
• Methamphetamine
• Diazepam
• Hydrocodone
• Oxycodone

In 2018, Fentanyl was responsible for close to 18,400 deaths; the equivalent of the population of a small town. Over the last five years, death by fentanyl overdose increased by 30 percent; a very frightening statistic.

Most Dangerous Classes of Drugs

Over a six-year study that looked at deaths as a result of drug overdoses, the same five drugs were responsible for these fatalities. The five most common deadly drugs in different classes of drugs are:

Opioids:

1. Fentanyl
2. Heroin
3. Hydrocodone
4. Methadone
5. Morphine
6. Oxycodone

Benzodiazepines:

1. Alprazolam
2. Diazepam

Stimulants:

1. Cocaine
2. Methamphetamines

Studies have discovered that prescription drugs were the leading cause of suicidal deaths while illegal drugs were the main cause of accidental overdose. When you purchase illicit drugs off of the street, you never truly know what you are getting as there are so many additives that chemicals that the drug may be ‘cut’ with. These additives could be the very reason why you lose your life.

To put these drugs into perspective, Fentanyl is an opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than Morphine. Even a dusting or the equivalent of the amount of a few grains of salt can be lethal.

Getting the Right Help

It’s important that if you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol or are experimenting with substances of abuse, treatment is required in order to get better. Continuing down the dangerous path of drug abuse means that you are putting yourself in a life-threatening situation each and every time that you use.

If you continue to use drugs, it isn’t a matter of if you will lose your life; it is a matter of when. You can only continue down this road for so long until the dangerous lifestyle that it leads catches up with you. The use and abuse of illicit and licit drugs are not worth it as these drugs will always win in the end if you do not take control of your life now. Do not become a statistic and get the necessary help needed today in order to live the life that you intended for yourself. You have family and friends who are counting on you to make the right choice to get better.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.