New Findings Highlight the Widespread Impact of the Drug Crisis
A recent survey by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed that nearly one in three Americans knows someone who has died from a drug overdose. The survey, involving over 2,300 adults, found that 32% of respondents had this personal connection, with 18.9% stating the deceased was a family member or close friend.
The survey highlighted that individuals across the political spectrum experienced similar rates of knowing someone who died from an overdose. Those personally affected by such a loss are more likely to view addiction as an “extremely or very important policy issue,” suggesting that these experiences could unite people in advocating for policy changes to address the crisis.
National tragedy and stigma
“The drug overdose crisis is a national tragedy,” stated Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, who led the analysis. She emphasized that many US adults mourning overdose-related losses may not be as visible as those affected by less stigmatized health issues. Kennedy-Hendricks suggested that movements aiming to support policy changes should consider the role of this community.
The economic burden of the opioid crisis is staggering, with costs exceeding $1 trillion annually in the United States. The CDC reports over 100,000 drug overdose deaths annually in recent years, with more than one million deaths since 1990, primarily due to opioid overdoses. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl have been major drivers of this crisis.
Impact on children
A recent study highlighted that drug abuse is increasingly leaving children orphaned. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that between 2011 and 2021, around 649,599 people aged 18 to 64 died from a drug overdose, resulting in an estimated 321,566 children losing a parent. This underscores the far-reaching impact of the drug epidemic on American families.