CDC: Number of Americans overdosing on fentanyl has tripled in 5 years

May 03, 2023

Karah Rucker Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Digital Producer)

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For years, fentanyl has been one of the leading causes of death among adults 18 to 45. New CDC data suggests that the threat is only worsening in the country as overdose deaths involving fentanyl have more than tripled in five years.

In 2016, overdose deaths involving fentanyl were at 5.7 per 100,000 people in the U.S. By 2021, deaths involving fentanyl grew to 21.6 per 100,000.

Between 2020 and 2021 alone, fentanyl overdoses jumped by 24%. This suggests the problem is only progressing, and authorities around the world know it.

In a crackdown involving U.S. authorities and international enforcement agencies, 300 people accused of buying and selling fentanyl on the dark web were arrested during the week of May 1, 2023.

More than half of those arrests were made in the U.S.

It was an operation that lasted 18 months and spanned three countries. It is being hailed as the largest sting of its kind. More than $53 million in cash and virtual currencies was taken, along with guns and nearly 2,000 pounds of drugs.

With deaths related to fentanyl tripling in a 5-year span, the government is likely to continue similar crackdowns on monopoly markets looking to financially capitalize on a growing opioid crisis.

Tags: CDC, Fentanyl, Opioid Crisis

KARAH RUCKER: FOR YEARS, FENTANYL HAS BEEN THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG ADULTS 18 TO 45. NEW DATA SUGGESTS THAT THREAT IS ONLY WORSENING IN THE COUNTRY – AS OVERDOSE DEATHS INVOLVING FENTANYL **MORE THAN TRIPLED IN FIVE YEARS. THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE LATEST DATA RELEASED THIS WEEK BY THE CDC.

CDC’S NEW DATA ON FENTANYL OVERDOSES

IN 2016 – OVERDOSE DEATHS INVOLVING FENTANYL WERE 5.7 PER 100 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE U.S. BY 2021 – DEATHS INVOLVING FENTANYL GREW TO 21.6 PER 100 THOUSAND. AND BETWEEN 2020 AND 2021 ALONE – FENTANYL OVERDOSES JUMPED BY 24 PERCENT. MEANING THE PROBLEM IS ONLY PROGRESSING. AND AUTHORITIES AROUND THE WORLD KNOW THIS.

INTERNATIONAL CRACKDOWN ON FENTANYL

IN A CRACKDOWN INVOLVING U.S. AUTHORITIES AND INTERNATIONAL ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES – 300 PEOPLE ACCUSED OF BUYING AND SELLING FENTANYL ON THE DARK WEB WERE ARRESTED THIS WEEK — MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE ARRESTS WERE MADE IN THE U.S.

IT WAS AN OPERATION THAT LASTED 18 MONTHS AND SPANNED THREE COUNTRIES — THE LARGEST STING OF ITS KIND. MORE THAN 53 MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH AND VIRTUAL CURRENCIES WAS TAKEN, ALONG WITH GUNS AND NEARLY 2 THOUSAND POUNDS OF DRUGS.

MONOPOLY MARKETS TARGETED BY GOVERNMENT

WITH DEATHS RELATED TO FENTANYL TRIPLING IN A 5 YEAR SPAN — THE GOVERNMENT IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE SIMILAR CRACK DOWNS ON MONOPOLY MARKETS LOOKING TO FINANCIALLY CAPITALIZE ON A GROWING OPIOID CRISIS.