US reported 15% more drug overdose deaths in 2021

Country registered another record year, with more than 100,000 fatalities

A sample showing the amount of fentanyl that can be deadly. AP

Drug overdoses killed more than 100,000 people in the US in 2021, data showed on Wednesday, as the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated a crisis driven by fentanyl and fake online pills.

Experts say people with substance use disorders have been hit hard by daily life disruptions, while authorities are seizing record numbers of counterfeit and sometimes deadly medicines from Mexico.

Provisional data from the National Centre for Health Statistics showed there were 107,622 deaths in the calendar year, an increase of 15 per cent from 93,655 in 2020.

But there were signs that the explosion was tapering, with the 2021 increase half of what it was a year ago. Overdose deaths rose 30 per cent from 2019 to 2020.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid developed to treat the symptoms of chronic pain, was by far the biggest culprit, responsible for 71,238 deaths.

It was followed by crystal methamphetamine, cocaine and natural opioids, such as heroin and morphine.

“It is unacceptable that we are losing a life to overdose every five minutes around the clock,” said Rahul Gupta, director of the White House's Office National Drug Control Policy.

Last month, President Joe Biden's administration announced a national drug control strategy to tackle the crisis focused on untreated addiction and trafficking.

Survey figures from 2020 showed that among the 41.1 million people who needed treatment for substance use disorders, only 2.7 million — or 6.5 per cent — had received treatment at a specialist facility in the past year.

The administration is seeking to expand access to life-saving treatments such as naloxone, drug test strips and syringe services programmes.

It has also requested a budget increase for border control and drug enforcement agencies to stem the flow of illegal drugs.

Saudi customs officials stand in front of a mound of seized Captagon pills

A customs officer opens pomegranates in search of drugs after an attempt was made to smuggle millions of Captagon pills from Lebanon through Jeddah Islamic Port inside a shipment of the fruit.

Customs officials unpack the bags of tablets seized.

Saudi port authorities said about nine million Captagon pills were intercepted.