Alarming increase in overdose death rate for women aged 30-64

According to CDC findings reported in Biggest jump in drug overdoses was among middle-aged women, “Deaths from drug overdoses increased by 260 percent among women aged 30 to 64 between 1999 and 2017. And the rate of drug overdose deaths from opioids increased by an enormous 492 percent among women aged 30 to 64.” And, “Statistics show that most of those who die from overdoses first used opioids with a legitimate prescription from a doctor.”

These findings suggest that there needs to be more education targeted to women aged 30-64 about the dangers of prescription opioids, and that there may need to be stronger regulations on doctors prescribing prescription opioids to women aged 30-64. Thankfully, (as we posted on our facebook page last Friday), doctors in Virginia are now required to prescribe Narcan with some pain medication. Hopefully this new law will lead to a decline in the current trend of opioid overdoses in women aged 30-64.

To learn more about the CDC findings, check out the article Biggest jump in drug overdoses was among middle-aged women, by Maggie Fox and published by NBC News.