“Although opioid and heroin deaths have been rising dramatically in the U.S., the magnitude of the epidemic varies from state to state, as does the relative proportion of opioid vs heroin poisonings. Further complicating the picture is that up to one-quarter of all death certificates fail to note the specific drug responsible for the fatality, complicating efforts to target enforcement and treatment programs at both state and federal levels. A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine presents a correction procedure to refine this data, which results in significant shifts in state-by-state mortality rates. This truer picture helps to remove an important barrier to formulating effective policies to address this serious drug epidemic.:
Read more at: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/e-nsg080417.php
Source: Eurekalert.org – August 7, 2017
