By: Autumn Klein
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – A report released Monday revealed another health crisis rising in Arkansas and the nation.
According to the report released by QuoteWizard, drug overdose deaths in Arkansas have grown over 16% just in the past year. Based on information on the CDC’s website, reported overdose deaths in Arkansas went from 542 in 2021 to 631 this year.
While Arkansas is currently the thirteenth-leading state in opioid-related deaths, Arkansas is not alone in this crisis. Nationally, statistics show a large increase in overdose deaths. The numbers have risen 50% since 2019, with 103,664 deaths reported last year in comparison to the 68,757 deaths in 2019. The most deaths were reported in West Virginia, Louisiana and Tennessee.
The report goes on to explain that opioids are the leading cause of these overdose deaths. Opioids have accounted for around 34% of all overdose deaths since 2015; however, when accounting for synthetic opioids – like fentanyl – opioids are currently responsible for 70% of all overdose deaths.