Overdose deaths spiked immediately after the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020 before tapering later in the year. Researchers pointed to increased drug use, riskier use conditions such as isolation amid social distancing restrictions, and a drug supply that has become far more lethal because of synthetic opioids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released provisional mortality and that analysis suggests that overdose deaths spiked to their highest level in 2021 becoming a new annual record.
These deaths continue to be driven by potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil that are increasingly mixed with other drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. Synthetic opioids were involved in an estimated 87 percent of opioid deaths and 65 percent of all drug overdose deaths. Many states appear to have experienced more overdose mortality during the first half of 2021 than in any six-month period.
Congress has allocated billions of dollars in response to the overdose crisis. But funding will be inadequate without complementary policy changes to improve access and availability of effective treatment and harm-reduction tools.
Federal data shows that the vast majority of people with an opioid use disorder are not accessing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options like methadone or buprenorphine that significantly reduce overdose risk. A range of barriers contribute to that low treatment rate. People can encounter insurance restrictions like prior authorization or providers who accept out-of-pocket payment only.
The opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, syringe-service programs, and fentanyl test strips are examples of effective tools that can mitigate the risk of overdose and lower the risk of death if an overdose occurs. But these lifesaving tools continue to be underutilized and resistance remains strong in many areas of the country.
Progress against the overdose crisis will require bold changes that minimize barriers to effective treatment and maximize safety for people who use drugs. With a potential of more lives lost, we need policies aimed to meet the urgency of the moment.
Yes, this does hit close to home, however the City of North Ridgeville felt it important to share these statistics as well as those of administered does of narcan. This webpage was designed to increase awareness of this issue and to share resources that are available to prevent drug addiction and assist drug overdose patients with treatment options and community resources.
City of North Ridgeville
Year | # of Narcan Patients |
| 2022 | 0 (as of 3/7/2022) |
2021 | 37 |
2020 | 56 |
2019 | 77 |
2018 | 68 |
2017 | 100 |
2016 | 103 |
2015 | 56 |