Community-Coalition On Drug Awareness
Educating Communities Through
Awareness-Acknowledgement-Action
C-CODA Resource Center
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
SAMHSA’s programs and campaigns offer information, training, and technical assistance to improve the quality and delivery of behavioral health services across the nation.
DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION
Opioid Crisis Overview
- Last year, we lost more than 52,000 Americans to drug overdose – more than 33,000 of those from opioids.
- In 2014 there were 47,055 drug poisoning deaths in the United States - and in one year it increased 11.3 percent to 52,404 deaths. 63% (33,014) of those deaths are related to opioids. On average – 90 people a day die from opioid overdoses.2 Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids rose 73% (9,580 souls). This is mainly attributed to fentanyl-related overdoses.
- All but one Major League baseball stadium (Dodger Stadium) filled to capacity would not equal the more than the 52,000+ dying by drug poisoning. America is losing the equivalent of a baseball stadium full of people every year to drug overdose.
- Nearly a decade ago, U.S. gun deaths outnumbered opioid-related deaths by more than 5 to 1. Today, more people die from opioid-related causes than from gun homicides.
- Nationally, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, employers are losing $10 billion a year from absenteeism and lost productivity due to opioid abuse.
- Fentanyl is up to 30-50 times as potent (as deadly) than heroin itself – 2 milligrams of fentanyl (equivalent to a few grains of table salt) is considered to be a lethal (deadly) dose for more than 95% of the American public – note that there are many variables to include amount ingested and whether someone is a naive user or opioid tolerant.
- Eight out of 10 new heroin users began by abusing prescription painkillers and moved to heroin when they could no longer obtain or afford those painkillers. This is something the Mexican drug cartels have capitalized on by providing the heroin (for as little as $10 per baggie) often times laced with fentanyl for US citizens willing to purchase it.