Fentanyl Amongst The Top Drug Overdose Death Cause, Doubles In A Single Year; Heroin, Cocain, Morphine In The List Too

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Fentanyl is an opioid painkiller used in the United States. But according to the latest reports, the deaths recorded due to Fentanyl overdoses has become twice in just a single year. 

According to the reports described in the Huffington Post, In 2014, around 4,200 deaths were reported in the United States citing fentanyl overdose. When compared to the record in 2013 which is 1,905 deaths, the records clearly states that the number of death in 2014 have doubled. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are conducting the research.

The method used in the Death certificates consists of codes that depict the reason of death, however, it doesn't provide details on what was the actual reason. Hence, a new method have been developed that will help researchers identify the cause of death as well.

A list of top 10 drugs was curated as the cause of death between 2010 to 2014. Conclusion was an overdose of Oxycodone in 2010 and 2011 and the overdose of heroin in 2012 to 2014.

The new method helped researchers to find out the top drug that has caused mass destruction. It is Fentanyl which has climbed the ladder ranking at the 5th most common drug. To put all the statistics in perspective, in 2010, the deaths due to the overdose of heroin were 3,020 which rose to 10,863 in 2014.

Cocaine accounted for the third of drug overdose deaths whereas 95% deaths involve either diazepam or alprazolam. The methamphetamine death scale rose to 3,728 from 1,388 in 2014 compared to 2011. 

Fentanyl accounted for 1,600 deaths in 2010 to 2012. And the death scale magnified double in 2014 when the death toll rose to 4,200, as mentioned in the Medscape. Out of the total deaths by drug overdose, 67% involved specific drug overdose in 2010 which rose to 78% in 2014.

The overdose deaths are further classified into death by specific drugs, deaths due to twin drugs, and so on.The new method developed by FDA and NCHS will help determine the deaths due to drug overdose and might help to understand the cure.