A recent survey conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed that approximately one in three Americans knows someone who has died from a drug overdose.

The survey included over 2,300 adult participants and found that 32 percent of respondents knew someone who had succumbed to a fatal drug overdose. Furthermore, 18.9 percent of these respondents told that the deceased individual was a family member or close friend.

This survey also highlighted that individuals from across the political spectrum reported similar rates of knowing someone who had died from an overdose. Additionally, it is likely that those who had experienced such a loss were more inclined to regard addiction as an "extremely or very important policy issue." This suggests that people who have lost loved ones to overdoses might be able to come together to "facilitate greater policy change."

drug overdose
Image Source: Verywell Health

Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, who led the analysis, emphasised the national scope of the drug overdose crisis in the news release. She said, "The drug overdose crisis is a national tragedy." Kennedy-Hendricks pointed out that while many U.S. adults are grieving overdose-related deaths, these individuals might not be as visible as those affected by "less stigmatised health issues." She added, "Although large numbers of US adults are bereaved due to overdose, they may not be as visible as other groups who have lost loved ones to less stigmatised health issues."

Kennedy-Hendricks suggested that movements aiming to "build support for policy change to overcome the devastating toll of the overdose crisis should consider the role of this community."

In addition to the emotional and social impact, the economic burden of the opioid crisis is staggering. The survey reported that the costs associated with the opioid crisis exceed $1 trillion annually in the United States. This figure highlights the extensive financial implications of the epidemic, which leads to urgency to address the issue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the country has experienced over 100,000 drug overdose deaths annually in recent years. Since 1990, more than one million Americans have died from drug overdoses, with the majority of these deaths being related to opioids. The CDC highlighted that synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, have been a major driver of this crisis.

A recent study further highlighted the widespread impact of drug abuse, revealing that it is increasingly claiming the lives of many parents, leaving hundreds of thousands of children orphaned. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that between 2011 and 2021, around 649,599 people aged 18 to 64 died from a drug overdose. This resulted in an estimated 321,566 children losing a parent to the drug epidemic.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse's recent findings indicated that over 321,000 children in the United States have lost parents to overdoses in the past decade. This tragic situation highlights the far-reaching impact of the crisis, not just on individuals and families, but also on society as a whole.

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