Fentanyl is the deadliest drug in the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently confirmed. Each year from 2013 through 2016, the number of overdoses involving fentanyl grew by around 113 percent. This massive jump is one of the reasons why lawmakers have taken such a harsh stance against the drug by instituting severe criminal penalties for users and dealers.
Coming in the second slot for the deadliest drugs based on overdose deaths was heroin. Cocaine and methamphetamine followed in the third and fourth slots, respectively. The percentages of deaths with these four drugs are shocking. All told, these four drugs account for 82.3 percent of overdose deaths in this country.
- Fentanyl: 28.8 percent
- Heroin: 25.1 percent
- Cocaine: 17.8 percent
- Methamphetamine: 10.6 percent
Some drug deaths are due to mixed drugs. For example, fentanyl mixed with heroin or marijuana. Individuals who are addicted to these drugs will do almost anything to get their hands on them. The dealers see this as a fast and easy way to make money, so they get hooked on that steady stream of income. These factors can be hard to move past when you try to turn your life around.
For people who are facing these criminal charges for any drug, they need to evaluate their options for handling the charges. If you are an addict, you might need to look into drug court and other programs that might enable you to get help. If you are a dealer, trying to find options that can help you change your line of work might be a good idea.