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Drug overdose surged during the pandemic

By Chelsie Burroughs, CNN

Published September 27, 2022 8:07 AM

(KYMA, KECY/ CNN) - COVID-19 itself wasn't the only significant health threat the virus sparked in the United States.

Drug overdoses rose during the pandemic, according to health officials

But during the same time, fewer people were diagnosed with substance use disorder.

A non-profit say the findings are based on millions of medical claims from its database.

Alcohol was responsible for 52-percent of cases last year.

Opioids were second with 21-percent.

According to data from the CDC, roughly 109,000 people had a fatal drug overdose in 2021.

That's a 51-percent hike from 2019.

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