The national rate for deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide rose from 43.9 to 46.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017, a 6 percent increase, per CDC. In most states, deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicides increased in 2017. In five – Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah and Wyoming – those deaths fell.
Deaths from synthetic opioids, including the narcotic pain reliever fentanyl, rose 45 percent. Such deaths have increased tenfold in the past five years. Suicide by suffocation increased 42 percent from 2008 to 2017. Suicide by firearm increased 22 percent in that time. Trauma and adverse childhood experiences such as incarcerated parents or exposure to domestic violence increase the risk of drug and alcohol abuse and suicide.
TAKEAWAY
- Monitor your kids
- Limit access to the means of suicide, such as the safe storage of medications and firearms, and responsible opioid prescribing practices.