According to data from the CDC, opioid overdoses doubled or tripled in many states during the pandemic. But now that it’s summer, many towns across America are seeing an increase in overdoses as the world begins to reopen fully.
Summer Opioid Overdoses Beginning to Spike
Last weekend in Rochester, New York, three adults overdosed as their children played together indoors. Seven other overdoses occurred from what police presume was the same batch of drugs.
“No one knows what’s in the drugs they’re taking anymore,” Joel Yager of Huther Doyle Substance Abuse Services told the local news station. “There are so many additives. A lot of it is fentanyl, and it’s being added to not just heroin but to cocaine and, in some cases, marijuana.”
In the past, most summer overdoses were from “bad” batches of heroin. But in the past decade, synthetic drugs like K2 have sent people to the hospital as well. No drug is 100% pure, it seems, when it’s bought online or on the streets.
Heroin Still High Cause of Opioid Overdoses
In Monroe County, New York, there have been 63 heroin overdoses in the county so far this month. Substance abuse counselors say that many people relapsed during the pandemic due to loneliness and isolation.
Lifesaving tools like Narcan have done their jobs saving lives. However, many people who use the drug avoid hospital treatment, which can cause further health problems down the line.
Staying Sober Requires Community
Many people in recovery find that life is better when they live among others who understand their struggles and share the same values and goals. In addition, inpatient treatment programs and aftercare programs like sober living can help people maintain long-term sobriety. And, of course, 12-step programs help people stay connected and work their recovery programs.
Overdosing on opioids is a tragic part of many people’s life stories, but you don’t have to live that.
The Society of Addiction Recovery Residences is an alliance of sober homes and addiction professionals. Together, these homes help people stay sober and set the standards for recovery housing.
To learn more about our organization or find a sober house, call us at 619-828-2001.
