Opioids & COVID Driving Phoenix’s Rising Fatal Drug Overdoses
In 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Phoenix witnessed a sharp rise in fatal drug overdoses, many with fentanyl as the cause. Addiction treatment expert Robert Castan explains why.
Will was doing well - he was winning against his heroin addiction, and working his recovery after leaving an initially successful program at a Phoenix rehab center. The 26-year-old supermarket grocery worker (a menial job for an intelligent young man, but he liked it), was regularly attending group recovery meetings around the city, sharing his story on occasion, but mostly feeling grateful at being part of this inspiring and supportive recovery community.
9:37 pm UTC Dec. 18, 2020
More than 500 people experiencing homelessness in metro Phoenix died in the first nine months of 2020.
The unexpected and deadly COVID-19 virus which ravaged the world this year and killed more than 7,000 Arizonans was known to be responsible for only four of those deaths.
The rest were caused by the same concerns that killed hundreds of homeless people last year and, in all likelihood, will kill hundreds more next year.
Drug overdoses. Heatstroke. Malnutrition. Treatable illnesses. Vehicle collisions.
Nearly all of the people who died were not staying at a shelter at the time of their death. Their bodies were found outside in tents, on sidewalks, in a Porta Potty, under freeway tunnels and in dry river bottoms.