HHS HealthBeat (May 31, 2007)

Death by overdose

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Drug overdoses kill about 50 people a day. And the death rate is going up. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Len Paulozzi tracks those numbers.

"The number of drug poisoning deaths – or drug overdoses – rose from a little over 11,000 in 1999 to almost 20,000 in 2004. And that was a 68 percent increase in the rate." (12 seconds)

Almost 10,000 deaths in 2004 involved narcotics – such as some types of painkillers, cocaine and heroin.

Paulozzi says the increase has come as the painkillers, as well as mood-altering drugs such as antidepressants, have become more broadly used for legitimate purposes. But he says the drugs must be taken as directed, not taken recreationally, and patients should not take extra doses for more pain relief.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 31 2007