July 14, 2021

"Deaths from drug overdoses soared to more than 93,000 last year... The death toll jumped by more than 21,000, or nearly 30 percent, from 2019..."

"The increase came as no surprise to addiction specialists, drug counselors and policy experts who have watched the steady rise in deaths throughout the pandemic.... ... 2020 brought the added complications of a worldwide viral pandemic. Health care resources were stretched and redirected toward the emergency. Anti-addiction medication was more difficult to obtain. Stress increased dramatically."

WaPo reports.

ADDED: From the NYT article on the subject: 

The death toll from Covid-19 surpassed 375,000 last year, the largest American mortality event in a century, but drug deaths were experienced disproportionately among the young. In total, the 93,000 deaths cost Americans about 3.5 million years of life, according to a New York Times analysis. By comparison, coronavirus deaths in 2020 were responsible for about 5.5 million years of life.

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