Overdose fatalities among older Americans climbed in recent years, with 6,702 U.S. residents 65 and older succumbing in 2021, according to research published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers reported that the rate of fatal overdoses for the age group quadrupled — rising from 3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2002 to 12 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. The study’s most recent data showed that 57 percent involved an opioid, 39 percent a stimulant and 18 percent both. Of unintentional overdoses, 74 percent stemmed from illicit drugs, such as fentanyl, heroin, cocaine or methamphetamines.
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Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/04/17/overdose-deaths-older-americans