Drug Overdoses Kill Record Number of People in 2020
August is Overdose Awareness Month, and we’re honored to be walking hand-in-hand with the recovery community. Even more so, we’re grateful to be offering hope for those struggling with addiction.
According to numbers released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overdose deaths shot up nearly 30% in 2020, killing over 93,000 Americans. Health and drug abuse leaders say the increase was in large part due to the lethal prevalence of fentanyl, plus the burdens and tensions of the pandemic.
Fentanyl is like morphine but, according to www.drugabuse.gov, it can be 50-100 times more potent. It’s a prescription opioid, most often used to treat patients with severe, post-op pain. However, because it’s synthetic, it is often made illegally. During the pandemic, drug suppliers were more frequently mixing fentanyl with cocaine and meth, skyrocketing their effects.
The verdict: The drugs themselves became more lethal. Opioids were involved in nearly 3/4 of overdose deaths in 2020.
All of this was, of course, happening at a time of great stress. We’ve blogged about overdoses in Alabama, and we’re now seeing a fuller picture of the pandemic’s effect on those with addictions.
During the worst of Covid, social distancing reduced access to help for many people with stay-at-home orders making it impossible for many to attend in-person support groups meetings and therapy sessions. Isolation and loneliness often contribute to anxiety and depression and many self-medicated in response.
Nevertheless, in the face of grim statistics like these, there is hope for those struggling with addiction!
Get Help Today
We offer Christ-centered recovery for hurting and broken people struggling with addictions. We believe that, in Jesus Christ, there is hope for every person. Our 12-18 month men’s & women’s programs help restore addicted, homeless and other broken people through Christ-centered healing and transformation.
Depending on a resident’s needs, we provide recovery classes, faith-based individual & group counseling, case management, Biblical teaching, mentoring, life-skills training, discipleship classes, job-readiness training, and more.
Outpatient recovery services are also available to both men and women 18 years of age and older. The counseling services offered through this program are Biblically-based and provided by experienced professionals with a passion for seeing people experience the freedom that is only available through Christ.
If addiction is holding you back from experiencing the fullness of life, don’t wait until it’s too late. Get help today!
