Monthly percentage of illicitly manufactured fentanyl-involved deaths with xylazine detected increased from 2.9 to 10.9 percent
Increase seen in age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving xylazine from 0.03 to 1.06 per 100,000 standard population
Findings seen across drug types and most ages, even when accounting for rates of drug misuse
Most patients with emergency department visit for nonfatal opioid overdose were men; most frequent drugs reported were fentanyl and heroin
Overdose prevention centers allow people to use illegal drugs under supervision so they can potentially be revived if they overdose
Increase seen in age-adjusted drug overdose death rates involving methamphetamine, cocaine; decrease reported in death rates involving oxycodone
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved OTC Narcan nasal spray last month to be sold without a prescription
Increases also seen for coprescribing with opioids
However, fewer than one in 20 individuals receive buprenorphine
One in 370 deaths among older adults was caused by an overdose in 2021