Americans are suffering. The rates of death due to drug addiction, alcoholism and suicide hit record highs in 2017 — averaging 72.4 fatalities for every 100,000 people throughout the nation.
This alarming news comes out of a report titled “Pain In The Nation,” which was provided by the Well Being Trust and the Trust for America’s Health. The report relied on data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the report, some demographics have been affected more heavily than others. Texas fared relatively well in the report, with an average of only 31.5 deaths per 100,000. However, West Virginia residents suffered a dismal 91 deaths per 100,000 residents during the same time period.
Many of the deaths have been attributed to overdoses on synthetic opioids. The opioid crisis has affected the majority of the nation adversely, although some states seem to be more troubled than others.
Most troubling to researchers, however, is the climbing suicide rate. Between 2008 and 2017, the suicide rate rose 22 percent — and 4 percent of that was between 2016 and 2017 alone. Suicides seem to be rising in all demographics — including among adolescents and children.
Experts say that the increase in drug-related and alcohol-related deaths is indicative of the fact that many people are “turning to it as a kind of self-medication, to deal with factors that are causing them pain.”
Many of the people that we see arrested for drug possession are actually suffering from addiction and underlying mental health issues. Treatment, not prison, is a much better and more appropriate solution to their problems. If you’ve been arrested for drug possession or a similar drug crime as a result of your addiction, get an attorney on your side.
