Sharp rise in fentanyl overdoses should prompt new solutions, report says

A new analysis finds that in a five-year span overdoses from fentanyl increased from 1 per 100,000 people to 9 per 100,000 people. Overall, that translates to about 3,000 deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in 2013 to more than 30,000 in 2018. The deaths have remained concentrated in Appalachia, New England, and the mid-Atlantic, but the report’s authors anticipate that it could expand nationally. The authors also write that given this unprecedented rise, policy solutions will need to go beyond what’s been tried with other drugs. Their suggestions include better monitoring for drug use — such as testing wastewater for remnants of drugs — and supervised consumption sites.