Opioid Epidemic So Severe, Says CDC, It’s Finally Killing As Many Americans As Guns
In 2016, the number of opioid-related deaths hit 42,000, an all-time record. But gun deaths were nearly that same number, and have been consistently that high.
If you want to know what’s dangerous to Americans, the place to look is the CDC: the Centers for Disease Control. Studying all causes of death, disease, and preventative measures, they’re the most important health agency in the country. Their purview extends from yellow fever to influenza to suicide to addiction and binge drinking. If there’s a health problem plaguing this country, the CDC is the organization that studies it. You’ve likely heard a lot about the opioid epidemic recently, as there’s been a tremendous increase in the number of deaths related to heroin and other synthetic opioids, both with and without prescriptions, since 2010. With a record-setting 42,000+ drug overdose deaths involving an opioid in 2016, the death rate is now 5 times higher than it was in 1999. The problem is so bad, in fact, that opioids are finally killing as many Americans, on an annual basis, as firearms.
