Drug overdoses rise 30%, COVID pandemic could be partly to blame

[ad_1]

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The COVID-19 pandemic could be the cause of a sharp increase in drug overdoses from 2018 to 2020.

ABC4 Daily News: Get the latest Utah news straight to your inbox! Click here to sign up for the free newsletter!

Local Utah Addiction Treatment Centers have said the loss of social and emotional connection is one of the main reasons the numbers are on the rise.

Several factors are contributing to the increase in drug overdoses. From 2019 to 2020 it has increased by 30%, and from 1999 to now it has increased by 450%.

I actually just celebrated 20 years of recovery on the 11th, said Ann Coburn, program director of Odyssey House Millcreek. I was just really motivated to honestly prove that people were wrong who thought I was going to fail.

Coburn was in his customers’ shoes 22 years ago. She struggled with drug addiction and needed help, so now she returns the favor by helping the place that once helped her.

TOP STORIES: Utah Pharmacist Admits Distributing Fake COVID-19 Vaccine Cards

It only takes one person to believe in you and see the good, Coburn said.

The great thing is Odyssey House allows people to come and go for the help they want or need. The bad news is that the numbers show that drug overdoses are increasing exponentially.

Data from the CDC showed that between 2018 and 2020, there were an additional 26,000 drug overdoses in the country. That’s about the same number of drug overdoses in 2004 alone.

I think when we’ve seen people more isolated and cut off from their social supports and sober relationships, I think it helps a lot, Coburn said.

Much of drug overdose is prevented with naloxone, known as Narcan, which Unified Police patrol officers are required to carry out.

MORE: 2 Southern Utah Counties Back in High COVID Transmission Level

We have responded to a lot of those calls for service, said Sgt. Melody Cutler.

Cutler said the pandemic was partly to blame.

I think that’s just one of those things that accompanied the pandemic, Cutler said. The interesting things that we have seen, that people feel isolated or depressed, the loss of jobs, all of those things, all contribute to an increase in drug use.

If you or someone you know has a drug addiction, you can get help. Maison Odyssey accepts all those who need it.

[ad_2]