The number of drug overdose deaths from methamphetamine use in the U.S. has soared over the past decade, according to a new government report released Wednesday. Since 2011, the report finds, the annual rate of methamphetamine overdose deaths has risen in every demographic in America and is especially high among Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The findings highlight that opioids are not the only drug to have caused a record spike in overdose deaths in recent years.
The report was the work of scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and is based on mortality data collected by the federal government.
Opioids such as fentanyl and heroin continue to be responsible for the majority of overdose deaths each year, with an increase almost every year since 2010. In 2019, there were just over 70,000 overdose deaths. reported, with fentanyl believed to be involved in more than half of these deaths (often multiple drugs are involved in a single death). But scientists and public health experts have noted a corresponding rise in deaths from stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. About 16,000 deaths in 2019 involved psychostimulants with potential for abuse, a category that excludes cocaine and largely represents deaths from methamphetamine.
According to the new report published In JAMA Psychiatry, the total number of methamphetamine deaths in America increased fivefold between 2011 and 2018.
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In 2011, about 1.3 out of 100,000 Americans died from meth; in 2018 that had risen to 7.3 out of every 100,000 Americans. This increase was especially pronounced in Native Americans and Alaska Natives, who were more likely to die from meth before the recent surge. In 2011, 4.5 out of 100,000 people in this group died from meth; in 2018 this increased to 20.9 per 100,000. Meanwhile, meth-related deaths are also on the rise among groups who previously seemed to rarely use the drug, particularly black Americans. In that group, only 0.4 deaths per 100,000 were observed in 2011, but the number increased tenfold in 2018 to 4 deaths per 100,000 – accounting for the second-largest increase in all racial groups. Deaths were highest among men in all racial groups, but the number of women has started to increase rapidly since 2014-2015.
“While the opioid crisis has received a lot of attention, a methamphetamine crisis has quietly, but actively, gained momentum – especially among American Indians and Alaska Natives, who are disproportionately affected by a number of health problems,” said senior study author Nora Volkow, director of the NIDA, in a statement released by the agency.
One likely reason why the number of stimulant deaths has risen in recent years is because people will often take other drugs at the same time, including the very potent opioid fentanyl. But there is some evidence that meth use is in particular increasing independent of trends in opioid use. Unfortunately, the options for treating a meth disorder are extremely limited. There are no approved medications to help people who want to get rid of meth, manage their withdrawal and cravings symptoms. However, research led by NIDA last week evidence found that a combination of drug therapy may provide modest benefit in treating these symptoms specifically for meth users, combined with standard counseling.
Experts have said and early data suggests that 2020 will be an even worse year for fatal drug overdoses, which is likely to include an increase in meth-related deaths. While there is hope that better access to treatment and support services can begin to turn the tide and reduce overdose deaths, it is likely that many more people will die from meth and other drugs in the coming years.