Smoking Now Fuels More Drug Overdoses than Injecting Does

Recent government research challenges stereotypes of heroin injection deaths, revealing smoking, particularly of drugs like fentanyl, now leads to fatal overdoses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found a 73.7% increase in overdose deaths linked to smoking from January 2020 to December 2022, while injection-related deaths decreased by 29.1%.

The shift is most notable with fentanyl use, where evidence of injection decreased by 41.6% and smoking increased by 78.9%. Preliminary findings suggest smoking fentanyl might be less lethal than injecting, but the overall overdose risk remains substantial. Lauren Tanz, a CDC senior scientist, notes the uncertainty about whether the shift to smoking fentanyl will reduce overall overdose deaths.

Fentanyl, a potent drug often mixed with heroin, has been a major contributor to the U.S. overdose epidemic. Users increasingly opt to smoke it, avoiding the skin-related risks associated with injections. However, while smoked fentanyl is less concentrated, the overall risks persist. Some users cite cosmetic benefits, such as avoiding track marks, but the health implications remain serious.

The report analyzes data from 2020 to 2022, encompassing 71,000 cases out of 311,000 U.S. overdose deaths. By late 2022, 23% of deaths resulted from smoking, 16% from injection, 16% from snorting, and 14.5% from swallowing. The evolving trends underscore the complex landscape of substance abuse and its societal impacts.

अब धूम्रपान शस्त्रागार से अधिक औषधि अधिकतम अभिमानी कर रहा है।