Overdose Rates Soaring In The Pandemic

 *Appeared in the Laurel Leader-Call newspaper 

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released a report showing overdose deaths rose to a record 93,000 for 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to calculations done by the Associated Press, that translates into roughly 11 deaths every hour or more than 250 deaths each day. It’s an approximate 30 percent year-over-year increase. 

The New York Times noted several “grim records were set” during the last year: the most drug overdose deaths in a year; the most deaths from opioid overdoses; the most overdose deaths from stimulants like methamphetamine; the most deaths from the deadly class of synthetic opioids known as fentanyls. 

According to CDC data, fentanyl was involved in more than 60 percent of the overdose deaths. (Fetanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but, according to www.drugabuse.gov, approximately 50 to 100 times more potent.) 

In Mississippi, overdose deaths rose by a whopping 34.9 percent, from an estimated 387 deaths to an estimated 522 deaths. This is a public policy crisis, but it’s felt most at the personal levels. 

According to Shannon Monnat, an associated professor who researches geographic patterns in overdoses, there is no evidence to suggest that more Americans started using drugs last year, but rather the increased deaths were likely people who had already been struggling with addiction, she told the Washington Post. 

Some contributing factors were related to the pandemic, such as suspension of evictions and extended unemployment benefits, leaving more money in the pocket of addicts. This, along with the added pressure of lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions, contributed to a sense of isolation and led to many stocking up on their drug supplies, according to Monnat. 

I’ve written before about the stressors of life during the pandemic, and how our collective mental health has suffered.  But these numbers tell a dire story, not just about the impact of COVID-19 but about the more prevalent issue facing Americans today: addiction. 

My late Irish grandfather (Tom) was an alcoholic, and his legacy of “doing the next right thing” is something I’ll never forget. He embodied the spirit of what addiction can – and cannot – do to a person. Tom’s struggle with alcohol was a challenge, but he got help through Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and became a sponsor for tens of people in the Laurel-Jones County area.  Even in his 90s, Tom still attended meetings and spoke to fellow addicts who were struggling with their drug of choice. 

And yet, Tom’s story could have been much different.  Tom could have ended up an overdose death in CDC data, lost to history as a meaningless statistic with little to show for his life.  I’m so grateful to the good Lord that Tom’s story turned out differently. 

Addiction is real, and it comes in all forms.  Addiction doesn’t walk through the door and announce itself; more often, it comes in slow waves over a long period of time and is hard to recognize, even amongst the initiated.  Addiction doesn’t look or act any certain way; it can happen to any one of us for any reason. 

That’s why it’s so important to reach out to friends and family members right now, particularly with the Delta variant of COVID-19 emerging on the scene.  Isolation breeds addiction, and without a strong support group, addicts are likely to succumb to their disease.

Governments can play a part in the solution of shoring up the scourge of addiction in our country, but my experience tells me that the personal solution – one of the individual’s journey – is more effective than a government-led approach. 

Alcoholics Anonymous is a great organization for anyone who deals with addiction, and more information can be found at www.aa.org.  There’s even a mobile app for the more tech-savvy folks who may need additional help; download “In the Rooms” to find a list of virtual and physical meetings in your area. 

Remember, the pandemic’s toll goes well beyond the sickness of COVID-19 and has implications for loved ones, particularly those struggling with addiction.  The best thing you can do for friends and family members is to show mercy and love, and direct them to resources such as AA that are professionally equipped to help. 

Let us all ask for wisdom in dealing with those closest to us, requesting serenity “to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”