[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We all know that drug abuse is a terrifying threat to communities all over our country, as well as the entire planet. However, when you begin to break down the numbers, the true mortality rates that our country is enduring, due to addiction, begins to paint a bleak and disheartening picture of how extreme this epidemic is becoming. Drug addiction is decreasing. Far from it, actually. As far as mortality rates go, in America, drug abuse is one of the top causes of injury death. It's important to note that when we talk about injury deaths, we are not talking about all of the natural ways people die in this country. Instead, injury deaths refer to when someone is killed by a factor that is human-caused. This may be intentional or unintentional, and can include murder or self harm. In terms of drug abuse, it falls under the category of self-poisoning. Here is some more information about this picture of mortality in our country... [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]All drugs have seen an increase in deaths, due to use
Over the past 15 years, the number of people killed by nearly every major abused substance has continued to climb. These numbers are greatly represented in how many more people are dying from prescription drug overdoses. In 2001, nearly 10,000 Americans, annually, died from prescription drug abuse. In 2014, this number has nearly tripled at over 25,0000. Much of this rise is due to the overprescription of drug store opiates that are prescribed as pain relievers. As of 2001, 6,000 of those prescription drug overdoses were caused by prescription opioids. Today, that number is over 18,000.
This opioid problem has caused the rate of heroin addiction to climb, as well, as many opioid pain reliever addicts have turned to street drugs to feed their addiction. In 2001, 2,000 people died of heroin overdoses, while in 2014, that number had increased 600%, to 11,000. Aside from cocaine, which reached a peak year of overdoses in 2006, nearly every major drug has shown similar trends of injury deaths.
Higher rates than guns and cars, in terms of injury deaths
This drug epidemic has reached a point that it deserves to be at the front of many conversations, especially in an election year. Drug abuse kills more people every year than both guns and cars, in terms of injury deaths. Indeed, it is the number one culprit of injury deaths of people between the ages of 25 and 64. That is a huge demographic![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
