Drug overdose deaths are soaring in many cities, with San Francisco the latest to report a staggering increase in fatalities in 2019 due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials reported a 70 percent surge in deaths to 441 individuals, or more than one per day for an entire year, compared to 258 overdoses in 2018. They also warned that this year will likely be even worse, as the pandemic isolates more people, social services are disrupted, and there are higher barriers to receiving health care and drug treatment. The report said more than half of the deaths in San Francisco were due to the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, which has also fueled fatalities in other cities, and that fewer people were admitted to residential substance abuse treatment.
Meanwhile, Oregon and Illinois report booming marijuana sales, which started during the pandemic and are continuing to break records. The surge is encouraging governors of other states—including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and New Mexico— to consider fast tracking marijuana legalization to raise tax revenues.
And finally, the American Lung Association is launching a nationwide media awareness campaign to end the youth vaping epidemic. With one in 4 high school students reporting trying e-cigarettes, the ALA will broadcast public service messages to help parents of preteens and teens to talk about the effect of vaping on lungs. It will also feature an initiative aimed at equipping schools with resources to combat teen vaping.