Kentucky overdose rates among highest in nation, first responders concerned with increasing numbers in 2021
Patrick Sison/AP
This Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017 photo shows an arrangement of pills in New York. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison)
and last updated 2021-07-16 22:00:26-04
LANCASTER, Ky. (LEX 18) â In 2020, while the United States fought to win the fight against the coronavirus, thousands of Americans lost a different battle as drug overdoses soared around the nation.
Nationwide, overdose deaths increased to a record 93,000 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The data reveals a 29.4 percent increase in the nation compared to 2019.