According to the Charleston Gazette-Mail, fentanyl has been linked to more deaths than any other drug in the state of West Virginia this year. The staggeringly lethal synthetic opioid is said to be 50 times more potent than heroin and has been driving overdose deaths across the nation. Fentanyl is being increasingly added to heroin unbeknownst to most addicts but has also been linked to overdose incidents related to methamphetamine and cocaine abuse, suggesting that no street drug, dangerous in its own right, is safe from being tampered with. Pure fentanyl has even been pressed into pills, demonstrating how the levels of manipulation in the drug trade have reached such dangerous depths.
West Virginia Overdoses Double in First Half of 2017
Statistics from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources show that fentanyl-related overdoses have doubled heroin-related overdoses for the first half of 2017. 57% of the overdose deaths in the state was a result of fentanyl, compared to the 26% that were linked to heroin. This trend in West Virginia can be seen as a microcosm of the country at large, as stories of fentanyl overdoses all over the nation have been increasing in both occurrence and severity. In short, it is virtually impossible to overstate the gravity of the opioid epidemic that is sweeping the nation, which in turn has spawned a fentanyl epidemic to be reckoned with.
On average, 7 Americans die from an overdose of drugs each hour. Drug overdoses are the number one cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. The rate at which Americans are from fentanyl and its related analogs is at 55 per day. These staggering statistics underscore the need for a solution: one that works and one that lasts.
Serenity Springs Recovery Center believes the solution can be found in the components of its program. Highlighted by honesty and compassion, Serenity Springs gives each client the tools to overcome addiction and shows them how to use them, which is why our success stories are so inspiring. If you or a loved one is struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism, please do not hesitate to contact us. Each individual recovered constitutes a victory against the deadly opioid epidemic.
