• glans [it/its]
    ·
    edit-2
    4 months ago

    I just did some very light research and did find this graph.

    Show

    Appears to depict H becoming safer and safer over time. The deaths from heroin are about what they were from methadone 20 years ago. (Ignoring all methodological issues in determining "cause of death".)

    I expect this is basically due to how impossible heroin is to get, perhaps the only users left over are those with the ability to obtain a very good supply. Whereas 95% people are stuck with the other stuff.

    source: US CDC & Dept of HHS NCHS Data Brief: "Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2002–2022" Number 491, March 2024

      • glans [it/its]
        ·
        4 months ago

        Ya it's always a re-shock to see how dramatic things are. that graph is based on this chart

        death from any opiod - total:

        • 2002: 11,920
        • 2022: 81,806

        death from Synthetic opioids other than methadone:

        • 2002: 1,295
        • 2022: 73,838

        nice work FDA

    • krolden@lemmy.ml
      ·
      4 months ago

      They dont actually care about saving lives they just care about making it look like they give a shit while causing a much bigger issue. Now theres more deaths than ever just so they can use it as another boogyman instead of making safer alternatives.

      Or you know just making life better for everyone so people dont have to do opiates to cope.