Announcement Detail


July 13 | Overdose Deaths on the Rise Nationwide

Overdose Deaths on the Rise Nationwide

According to the Washington Post, federal and local officials are reporting alarming spikes in drug overdoses nationwide — a hidden epidemic within the coronavirus pandemic. Emerging evidence suggests that the continued isolation, economic devastation and disruptions to the drug trade in recent months are fueling the surge.

Suspected overdoses nationally — not all of them fatal — jumped 18 percent in March compared with last year, 29 percent in April and 42 percent in May, according to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, a federal initiative that collects data from ambulance teams, hospitals and police.

At a time when they are needed most, some treatment centers and addiction clinics are struggling to stay solvent and have begun closing programs. In normal times, most nonprofit behavioral health centers operate on extremely thin margins and rely on reimbursements from major government health programs such as Medicaid and Medicare and grants from local government. During the pandemic, they have struggled to treat patients, leading to severe drops in reimbursement,

Click here to read the full article from Washington Post

CDPHE Monitors Death Rates

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has been keeping an eye on deaths due to causes other than COVID-19 during this period of pandemic, in particular suicide, drug overdose and homicide (in additional to total overall deaths). In April 2020, total deaths were up approximately 40% over April 2019. Much, but not all, of this was driven directly by deaths due to COVID-19. Compared to similar periods in previous years, of these causes of death, the most notable increases have been seen principally in overdose deaths though it's too early now to conclude anything definitively.

Colorado Death Rates: January through June

  • 2018: 19,571 total deaths, all causes | 527 drug overdose deaths |  630 suicide deaths  | 126 homicides
  • 2019: 19, 902 total deaths, all causes | 533 drug overdose deaths |  663 suicide deaths  | 109 homicides
  • 2020: 22,268 total deaths, all causes | 526 drug overdose deaths | 497 suicide deaths | 114 homicides | 1,296 COVID-19 deaths

Click here to view Colorado death data statistics