En medio de la pandemia del coronavirus, las muertes por sobredosis de drogas en los EE.UU. alcanzan cifra récord, afirma CDC

Expertos invocan la acción inmediata para frenar el impacto de la pandemia de COVID-19 sobre la crisis de sobredosis, incluyendo el reforzamiento de acciones para la reducción de daños. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

By Kayla Rivas / Fox News

There were more than 81,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in the year leading up to May 2020, which surpassed record highs, according to a grim update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC said fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were mainly fueling the spike in overdose deaths, which increased 38% from the prior 12-month period. Almost every U.S. jurisdiction -- 37 of 38 -- with available data on opioids reported an uptick in related deaths. Fatal overdoses surged 50% in nearly half of the jurisdictions, and 10 states throughout the West listed a 98% rise in deaths attributed to synthetic opioids.

A top official with the Drug Policy Alliance, a coalition working to reframe drug policy, told Fox News the figures offer a glimpse into worsening figures as the pandemic progressed beyond May.

Vakharia said the Drug Policy Alliance is urging the incoming Biden administration to prioritize a "health-centered approach over past punitive approaches that have failed our communities" and increase access to services like "like harm reduction and medications for substance use disorder."