Reports from the CDC show that the risk for unprescribed fentanyl drug test positivity has increased more than 50% since the pandemic began.
The CDC reports that many states all over the country have increased mortality rates linked to opioid overdoses since the start of the pandemic. In 2019, the total number of opioid overdoses was 70,630. In 2020, that number skyrocketed to 93,331.
As Americans struggle with the “twindemic” that is addiction and the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a growing number of people turning to substance abuse as a way to cope with stay-at-home orders and a general sense of uncertainty. The ever-changing circumstances in conjunction with quarantine have led to substance abuse cases rising.