CDC: Drug overdose deaths increase nationwide, including in Westchester

Drug overdose deaths in the United States topped 100,000 in a single year for the first time ever - a 30% increase from last year.

News 12 Staff

Nov 18, 2021, 1:31 AM

Updated 1,061 days ago

Share:

America's drug epidemic is officially the deadliest it's ever been, according to a new report from the CDC.
Drug overdose deaths in the United States topped 100,000 in a single year for the first time ever - a 30% increase from last year.
More than 3,000 New Yorkers died from a drug overdose during the last year ending in April - a 20% jump.
Health officials blame the historic spike on a lack of access to treatment because of the pandemic and more drugs being mixed with fentanyl -- a synthetic opioid 50-times stronger than heroin.
Unfortunately, the same trends were seen in Westchester according to leaders at 'Friends of Recovery Westchester' a nonprofit that supports people recovering from drug use disorder.
"To have that it confirmed that it is really as severe as we have seen, and seen increasing, especially throughout COVID, it's very heartbreaking," says Lisa Hope, co-founder of Friends of Recovery Westchester.