Understanding the Opioid Epidemic in the United States

While opioids have a place in medical care as effective painkillers for those with chronic pain or serious medical conditions, there’s no denying that this class of medication has also become a major public health risk due to its potent and addictive properties. Understanding the opioid epidemic today involves realizing just how many people are struggling with addiction to prescription medications like oxycodone, morphine, and fentanyl — as well as illegal or counterfeit versions of opioids, including fentanyl-laced pills. The ongoing opioid epidemic points to an even greater need for compassionate, effective addiction treatment across the country. WhiteSands Treatment is a proud leader in the field with its network of drug and alcohol rehabs in Florida that offer people hope for a better, brighter future after overcoming opioid addiction.

What Is the Problem with the Opioid Epidemic?

According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, drug overdoses are now a leading cause of death in the United States. In 2019, for example, there were 70,630 drug overdose deaths — and a shocking 70% of those were caused by opioids. Just three years later, nearly 107,000 people died of drug overdoses, and more than 75% involved an opioid. The CDC says opioid-related deaths are rising — and have been continuously since 1999. 

Understanding the opioid epidemic also requires understanding how it has changed over the past 25 years. The CDC considers the epidemic as having three distinct phases or waves, starting with an increase in prescriptions for opioids in the 1990s that translated into growing overdose deaths. The second wave, from 2010 to 2013, was marked by a spike in overdose deaths involving heroin. The third wave, which we’re still in now, began in 2013 as more and more overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids, especially counterfeit and unregulated fentanyl. According to the CDC, many opioid-involved fatal overdoses also involve other drugs.

 

What States Are Most Affected by the Opioid Epidemic?

The opioid epidemic is affecting people all over the country, with 220 people dying each day in 2021 from an opioid overdose, according to the CDC. The highest age-adjusted drug overdose death rates in 2022 were recorded in:

1. West Virginia: 80.9 deaths per 100,000 residents.
2. Washington, D.C.: 64.3 deaths per 100,000 residents.
3. Tennessee: 56 deaths per 100,000 residents.
4. Delaware: 55.3 deaths per 100,000 residents.
5. Louisiana: 54.5 deaths per 100,000 residents.

 

Does Florida Have an Opioid Crisis?

The Sunshine State isn’t immune to the national opioid epidemic, and fentanyl overdoses have killed thousands in Florida in recent years. In 2022, 8,012 opioid-related deaths were reported, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Of those, 6,157 of the deaths were said to be directly caused by opioids. Fentanyl was found to be the cause of 5,622 deaths, while fentanyl analogs were the cause of death for 844 people, and about 95% of those deaths were ruled to be accidental — pointing to just how widespread the illegal and counterfeit fentanyl crisis has become. Here are the different opioid-caused deaths for 2022:

1. Fentanyl: 5,622.
2. Fentanyl analogs: 844.
3. Oxycodone: 432.
4. Morphine: 328.
5. Methadone: 175.
6. Heroin: 165.
7. Hydrocodone: 133.
8. Tramadol: 92.
9. Hydromorphone: 77.
10. Oxymorphone: 55.
11. Buprenorphine: 48.
12. Codeine: 26.

 

 

Where in Florida Has the Highest Overdose Rate with Opioids?

Understanding the opioid epidemic’s impacts on Florida involves looking at the areas that are hardest hit by fatal drug overdoses. The Florida Medical Examiners Commission’s 2022 annual report offered a breakdown of deaths caused in each metropolitan area 

by oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and heroin. Of those seven opioids, the highest death counts by area were seen in:

1. St. Petersburg: 962
2. Fort Lauderdale: 848
3. West Palm Beach: 669.
4. Tampa: 648
5. Jacksonville: 624.
6. Pensacola: 464
7. Orlando: 403
8. Leesburg: 398
9. Miami: 393.
10. Daytona Beach and Fort Myers (tied): 344.

 

Don’t Be a Part of the Opioid Epidemic: Get Help at WhiteSands Treatment

Now that you better understand just how serious the opioid epidemic is across the country and in Florida, it’s important to recognize that these tragic deaths don’t need to happen. A growing majority of all overdose deaths are now caused by fentanyl, especially counterfeit and illegal fentanyl that isn’t regulated or monitored and might be hidden in what users think are other substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, or opioid painkillers. People who are addicted to opioids or recreationally taking drugs that might be laced with fentanyl are at a high risk of overdose because of these drugs’ potency. That’s why professional addiction treatment offered at the best facilities in the country, such as WhiteSands Treatment’s drug and alcohol rehab in Palm Harbor and many other cities across Florida, is a crucial way of stopping the opioid epidemic and ensuring that you or a loved one doesn’t become the next victim to this national crisis. Call WhiteSands today at 877-855-3470 to learn more about how we can help.

 

External Sources

• National Center for Health Statistics — Drug Overdose Deaths
• National Center for Health Statistics — Drug Overdose Mortality by State
• Florida Department of Law Enforcement — Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic

 

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.