Kentucky shatters its fatal overdose record; fentanyl blamed

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Deadly drug overdoses rose almost 15% in Kentucky final 12 months, surpassing 2,000 deaths because the elevated use of fentanyl — a strong artificial opioid — resulted in a document demise toll within the state, in accordance with a report launched Monday.

The report confirmed that 2,250 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2021 — an ongoing scourge plaguing rural counties and the state’s largest cities alike. It was the primary time the Bluegrass State surpassed 2,000 drug overdose deaths in a single 12 months, stated Van Ingram, govt director of the state Workplace of Drug Management Coverage.

The state’s rising demise rely mirrored the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic. Final 12 months, for the primary time, greater than 100,000 Individuals died of drug overdoses over a 12-month interval, in accordance with the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, with about two-thirds of these deaths linked to fentanyl and different artificial medication.

In Kentucky, fentanyl was recognized in almost 73% of overdose deaths final 12 months, Monday’s report stated.

“We’ve by no means seen one drug this prevalent within the toxicology studies of overdose fatalities,” Ingram stated in a telephone interview.

Overdose deaths are sometimes attributed to multiple drug. Some folks take a number of medication and fentanyl is more and more minimize into different medication, typically with out the patrons’ information, officers say.

“I talked to a drug process power director final week who stated, ‘We’re discovering fentanyl in all the pieces,’” Ingram stated.

U.S. Senate Republican chief Mitch McConnell, who has steered massive sums of federal cash to his dwelling state of Kentucky over time to fight its drug-abuse woes, stated in a current column that fentanyl has “flooded” throughout the nation’s southern border.

“Regulation enforcement leaders throughout the commonwealth inform me that, to curb overdose deaths, our primary precedence must be to cease fentanyl from illegally getting into our nation by way of Mexico,” McConnell stated.

State officers additionally pointed to the supply of potent, cheap methamphetamine as one other think about Kentucky’s newest rise in drug overdose deaths.

The very best variety of drug overdose deaths in 2021 occurred amongst Kentuckians aged 35-44, the report stated. There have been 672 deaths in that age group final 12 months, up 17.5% from the prior 12 months.

The overdose fatality report was launched by the Kentucky Justice and Public Security Cupboard and the Workplace of Drug Management Coverage.

Kentucky has lengthy been stricken by excessive charges of habit to opioid painkillers.

In 2020, greater than 1,960 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses, up almost 50% from the pre-pandemic demise rely of 1,316 in 2019. Many individuals discontinued their drug therapy efforts out of concern of contracting COVID-19. That, together with the sense of isolation brought on by the virus, contributed to the 2020 surge in overdose deaths, state officers stated then.

Now, therapy and restoration packages are once more ramping up throughout Kentucky.

“Every single day we should work collectively to fund restoration packages and therapy choices in order that we are able to proceed to handle this scourge and get our folks the assistance they want,” Gov. Andy Beshear stated Monday in a information launch.

The governor stated the overdose demise toll was “devastating and intensely heartbreaking.”

Forward of Monday’s report, Beshear introduced one other step towards reaching a statewide coverage objective of providing no-cost companies near dwelling to assist Kentuckians overcome drug habit.

The state is working to ascertain cities and counties as “Restoration Prepared Communities” — geared toward offering high-quality restoration packages throughout Kentucky, Beshear’s administration stated.

“This drug epidemic on this nation goes to be solved one neighborhood at a time,” Ingram stated later Monday in touting this system.

Kentucky’s Workplace of Drug Management Coverage is partnering with Volunteers of America to launch the Restoration Prepared Neighborhood Certification Program. Cities and counties can apply for certification upon providing transportation, help teams and employment companies without charge for folks searching for therapy for drug or alcohol habit. A measure enacted final 12 months by Kentucky lawmakers created an advisory council assigned to create the restoration prepared certification.

Kentucky state Rep. Adam Bowling, the measure’s lead sponsor, stated Monday that this system will “empower cities and counties to supply a strong lifeline to assist Kentuckians construct a life free from habit.”

“Make no mistake, substance abuse is a crippling, harmful illness that may be prevented and handled efficiently,” Bowling stated in a press release. “Nonetheless, those that face it will need to have neighborhood help and entry to therapy and assets, no matter the place they dwell or how a lot cash is of their checking account.”

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Folks can name the KY Assist Name Heart at 833-8KY-HELP (833-859-4357) to talk one-on-one with a specialist who can join Kentuckians to therapy.