Move over, fentanyl? Stimulant overdose deaths are rising fast

Deadly, addictive fentanyl has certainly earned the spotlight when it comes to overdose deaths — but carnage from stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine is rising at a much faster clip.

Over the span of a single year, heroin deaths dropped almost 34% nationwide, while deaths from natural and semi-synthetic drugs (morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone) dropped nearly 13%. Methadone deaths dropped 1.1%, according to federal data presented at the recent American Society of Addiction Medicine conference in Dallas.

That’s the “good” news, if you will. The bad news includes the fact that deaths related to synthetic opioids — mainly fentanyl — jumped 5.7% between 2022 and 2023. But deaths related to methamphetamine jumped even faster — by 6.4% — while cocaine-related overdoses rose a striking 12.2%.

In California, this plays out on a backdrop of increasing homelessness. Many folks on the street use methamphetamine to stay awake at night to avoid becoming crime victims — especially women. It’s cheap, easy to get, highly addictive and creates its own special kind of hell.

Chronic meth users can exhibit violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, insomnia and psychotic features including paranoia, aggression, visual and auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances and delusions, such as the sensation of insects creeping on or under the skin, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Geetha A. Subramaniam, MD, Deputy Director, Center for Clinical Trials Network NIDA, Maryland 

Deaths related to psychostimulant use have more than doubled in California over just three years, according to state data.

• In 2019, there were 2,875 deaths related to psychostimulant use in California. That includes 571 in Los Angeles County; 288 in San Diego County; 209 in Riverside County; 153 in Orange County; and 123 in San Bernardino County.

• In 2022, there were 5,833 deaths related to psychostimulant use in California. That includes 1,361 in Los Angeles County; 588 in San Diego County; 517 in Riverside County; 412 in Orange County; and 197 in San Bernardino County.

While there are good medications for managing opioid use, and OK medications for managing alcohol use, there are no FDA-approved medications for managing stimulant use disorders — yet.

Medicine?

Some of the cocaine seized by the U.S. Coast that arrived in San Pedro Thursday morning. (Photo by Nathaniel Percy, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
Some of the cocaine seized by the U.S. Coast that arrived in San Pedro Thursday morning. (Photo by Nathaniel Percy, Daily Breeze/SCNG) 

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