Overdose Death Trends

In 2016 alone, there was an incredible number of deaths resulting from drug overdose, with more than 60,000 cases being drug related. In recent years, there has been an opioid crisis within the United States and this crisis remains a huge problem in the country. Stronger versions of opioids are readily available and the crisis has become the worst in US history. More than 60,000 deaths were recorded in 2016 that were related to the use of synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil. These, combined with illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin have led to an astounding number of deaths. The mixing of these drugs can increase the risk of overdose and in 2016, there was an increased number of deaths related to synthetic opioid use.

What Causes an Addiction

When an addictive substance like opioids are used in a repeated basis, there are physical changes that occur to the nerve cells in the brain. The brain reacts to the drug and it often stimulates the body, offering a high to the user. Over time, users become tolerant to a substance and will require higher doses to receive the same level of pleasure. When tolerance is increased, there is a much higher chance of an addiction being formed.

There are many causes of addiction and substance abusers can have a combination of these that can lead to their increased risk of addiction. Family history of addiction plays a large role as genetics can be responsible for 50% of the chance of becoming an addict. Those that have poor coping skills will also be at a high risk as will those with negative thinking. Individuals that battle with depression and anxiety will often turn to substances to relieve their pain and worry and the same is true for those that deal with chronic emotional or physical pain. Based on studies, between 15% and 30% of addicts battle addiction and depression.

What the Most Common Addictions Are

When people think of addictions, they often think of drugs and alcohol. However, addictions can come in many forms. While the US is currently battling an opioid crisis, there are many other forms of addiction that are the cause of death and depression. These addictions can lead to poor health, loss of jobs and family, long term failure in relationships and more. A study has revealed that 1 in 8 Americans are addicted to something that leads to destructive habits or even death.

Alcohol addictions are very common and it has resulted in 20-30% of liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver and esophageal cancer in the world. More than 1.8 million deaths are caused by alcohol addictions and alcohol use is on the rise. It is one of the top addictions in America. Drugs are always a problem and many users are addicted to prescription medications like Vicodin and Oxy. As for recreational drugs, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines top the list for addicts and the death tolls continue to rise due to overdoses.

While drugs and alcohol are leading causes of death, there are other addictions that may not have a fatal outcome, but can be just as destructive to a life. Gambling addictions are a serious problem in the US and since it is readily available in many formats. Addicts always have a way to gamble their money in hopes of getting that big win. Unfortunately, the statistics do not work in the favor of the gambler. Based on gambling addiction statistics, more than 80% of Americans gamble on a yearly basis and up to 5 of 100 will have a gambling problem. An estimated 50% of people with a gambling addiction will also engage in criminal activity to feed their addiction and many problem gamblers battle with depression, anxiety, antisocial personalities, substance abuse and loss of jobs, family members and friends.

What the Trends Show for 2017 and the Future

Addiction has always been a problem in the US, but with the increased use of opioids and other drugs, trends are on the rise and more people are battling addiction. Unfortunately, the majority of these people are the younger generation, with many college students and even high school students developing addictions are a young age. Many of these will battle with alcoholism and addiction to common drugs like marijuana, cocaine and heroin. In 2014, more than 29,000 Americans died from an overdose on opioids. In 2017, that number spiked to 60,000 and it is expected to rise over the next few years.

Experts believe there will be no decline in the addiction statistics in the country. Over the past few years, there has been a significant rise in the number of addicted individuals as well as the growing death toll due to drug and alcohol usage. Based on research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug related deaths have increased at least two-fold in the past year alone and it is expected for these numbers to continue to increase as more addicts make use of opioid synthetic drugs and use them with other drugs like cocaine and heroin. Based on collected data, illicit drug use is on the rise and will continue to lead to more addiction and higher death counts in the coming years.