Missouri Drug Deaths Increase As National Numbers Fall For The First Time In Decades

[Sherman A1]

This discussion thread was locked by Stuart G (a host of the Addiction & Recovery group).

The number of drug-related deaths increased by 16% last year, as fatal overdoses declined by an estimated 5.1% nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Missouri is one of 17 states that saw a rise in drug-related deaths last year. In 34 states, the number of deaths declined. Only Delaware had a higher increase over the previous year, at 16.7%.

Addiction treatment advocates point to Missouri’s decision to not expand Medicaid and the state’s belated response to treating the opioid overdose crisis, which according to the CDC killed an estimated 1,635 Missourians in 2018.

“We’re a conservative state that hasn’t invested heavily, because we think these are social issues,” said Dr. Will Ross, chairman of the St. Louis Joint Boards of Health and Hospitals. “We’re not really seeing this as a public health crisis until recently.”

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-drug-deaths-increase-national-numbers-fall-first-time-decades#stream/0