Alabama witnessed a steep rise in drug overdose deaths in the first half of 2020, as the Coronavirus pandemic struck hard and lockdowns occurred, as per a statement by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The health advisory of CDC estimated 81,230 deaths nationwide due to drug overdose between June 1, 2019, and May 30, 2020. This was the biggest figure recorded ever in a 12-month period.
However, there was a bigger figure than recorded between the months of March and May in 2020. This was the challenging period of lockdown.
People were extremely stressed. They were anxious. Nobody knew what would happen next. It was a nightmarish period, especially for those who were dependent on drugs.
According to specialists of an Alabama drug rehab center, there were people who wanted to stay in their “illusionary” world created by drugs. They were too afraid to face the real world, to face what was happening. Death was all around. For many people, it was too much to bear.
Yet, there were people who wanted to be free of drug addiction; but found themselves helpless.
The time when opioids ruled the roost
Alabama’s most populous county, Jefferson County, reported all-time high drug-related deaths in 2020. The deaths were majorly due to opioid overdose, particularly heroin and fentanyl.
No wonder, the addiction hotline number hardly stopped ringing!
The pandemic disrupted the drug supply. This had led to an increase in fentanyl-laced opioids. The scary thing was people didn’t know they were taking fentanyl! Drug peddlers secretly mixed this cheaply available compound in heroin, Xanax, and other opioids and sold it to addicts.
Madison County had reported a large number of drug overdose deaths and most of them were due to the combined use of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Cocaine and methamphetamines are also responsible for rising drug overdose deaths across the nation.
In most cases, fentanyl was found to be the culprit. Addicts were unaware they were taking fentanyl. They thought they took only cocaine or heroin. However, the deadly combo proved to be fatal to many.
Many addicts who come to drug rehab in Alabama report fentanyl addiction.
It’s a war against drugs
The United States has a long history of drug abuse. Unfortunately, the problem does not seem to get any better despite so many efforts to fight it. The problem seems to worsen and was taken to the next level during the pandemic.
The pandemic not only saw the birth of new addicts but also numerous relapse cases. People who were just out of drug rehab, looking forward to a new life, found themselves locked in their homes with probably nothing to do. To add fuel to the fire was the intensive anxiety triggered by the gloomy pandemic situation.
Many recovered addicts lost their jobs. It was natural for them to get back to drugs.
Many addicts who had successfully completed their fentanyl withdrawal program found themselves at the crossroads during the pandemic.
However, with 2022 almost here, a new hope shines upon us. If you or anybody you know is an addict, now is the time to turn over a new leaf by searching “drug rehab near me”.For more information, visit https://www.daylightdetox.com/drug-rehab/.
