by Alistair Dawber, June 02, 2024 | From: The Times

Almost a third of Americans have lost someone they know to a drug overdose, according to research, as deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl have soared in recent decades.

A poll by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimated that 32 per cent of the US’s adult population — or about 82.7 million people — said that they knew someone who had died after an overdose. Almost a fifth of the survey’s 2,300 respondents said that a family member or close friend had succumbed to drugs.

The rates of reported loss did not differ significantly by political party ­affiliation, the researchers found, but those who had lost someone were more likely to view addiction as an extremely or very important policy issue.

“The drug overdose crisis is a national tragedy,” said Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, assistant professor in the department of health policy and management at the school.

“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. Movements to build support for policy change to overcome the devastating toll of the overdose crisis should consider the role of this community.”

Data collected by the researchers showed an exponential increase in the number of Americans dying from overdoses over the past few decades. More than a million people have lost their lives to drugs since the late 1990s.

The problem appeared to get worse in the aftermath of the pandemic. In 2022, a record 108,000 people in the US died from drug-involved overdose, ­including from both illicit or prescription drugs.

The issue has become a key political battleground in an election year. ­Donald Trump, 77, has blamed what he says is the Biden administration’s failure to secure the border with Mexico, arguing that foreign entities, including the Chinese government, are profiting from lax security.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has proved to be especially deadly in recent years. The drug, which is used in ­medical procedures, is highly toxic and even small amounts can kill if not ­administered correctly.

The White House says a bill that it has put before Congress would dramatically tighten security at the border and reduce the imports of illicit drugs such as fentanyl. It blames Republicans for blocking the bill’s progress.

While the data will worry policy­makers, they will be encouraged by the very latest findings, which show a slight fall in the overall numbers of people ­dying from overdoses in the past two years.