Covid lockdown linked to increase in overdose deaths




In a new study, researchers have quantified how much pandemic safety measures and economic policies have affected overdose rates in the United States.

Drug overdose rates skyrocketed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

More than 92,000 people died from overdoses in 2020, according to the National Institutes of Health. Public health experts were concerned early in the pandemic that lockdowns and other measures to control the spread of the virus could lead to more overdoses.

New findings in American Journal of Public Health Provide answers to lawmakers and health leaders about future health policies and the unintended consequences that come with certain health measures, even if those measures are intended to save lives.

Douglas Wolf, Shannon Monnat, Emily Wiemers, Jennifer Karas Montez and Yu Sun from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University are the lead authors of the study.

Here, Wolf and Monat discuss the main findings of the work:

Xue Zhang, a former postdoctoral student at Syracuse University, and Elise Grossman, a scientist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, contributed to the work.

Source: Syracuse University

Original study DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2024.307621

Leave a Comment

“The Untold Story: Yung Miami’s Response to Jimmy Butler’s Advances During an NBA Playoff Game” “Unveiling the Secrets: 15 Astonishing Facts About the PGA Championship”