It was thought a major contributor to the rising tide of overdose deaths was over-prescription of opioids.The American Medical Association though reports doctors have cut their opioid prescriptions by 37%.But while that is going on, deaths from illicit drugs like cocaine, heroin and fentanyl are soaring.
In the last five years, fentanyl related deaths jumped from about 5,700 to over 36,500.Deaths from methamphetamines exploded from under 4,500 to now over 16,000.Cocaine fatalities have tripled, and deaths from heroin are now over 14,000 per year.In America, overdose deaths from these drugs are now at over 70,000 annually.