CDC: Opioid overdoses continue to surge in Midwest

Emergency room visits for suspected opioid overdoses spiked 30 percent nationwide from July 2016 through September 2017 with the most severe problems experienced in the Midwest, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released this week (Source: “Opioid overdoses spiked 28 percent in Ohio last year, CDC says,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 6, 2018)

The report, compiled from emergency departments in 45 states, found overdoses rose 109 percent in Wisconsin, 66 percent in Illinois, 35 percent in Indiana, 28 percent in Ohio and 21 percent in Missouri.

A few areas, including Kentucky, noted decreased overdoses. The report said Kentucky's reduction "might be explained by fluctuations in drug supply and warrant confirmation," and small decreases in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island could be "related to implementation of interventions including expansion of access to medication-assisted treatment."