LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published Wednesday shows that a record number of people died from drug overdoses last year, which is the most deaths since the CDC started tracking those statistics in 1999. 

There were upwards of 93,000 overdose deaths in the 12 months ending in December 2020, according to data from the CDC. This is a nearly 30% jump from 2019.

In 2020, there were 1,958 overdose deaths in the Commonwealth, according to data from the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC). In the CDC’s report, Kentucky saw a jump over 50% with almost 800 hundred more overdose deaths in 2020 compared to 2019. The April report from KIPRC cited the increase in overdose deaths were driven by the involvement of fentanyl followed by methamphetamine and by the combination of both drugs. 

Michelle Dubey from Landmark Recovery said that the drug use in the community has also led people to seek out addiction centers like Landmark Recovery to help aid in treatment.

“This time last year, we were certainly not operating at the capacity we are now. We are nearly full in all of our facilities locally and across the country we operate. We have seen an increase in people using our services,” she said.

Dubey believes that we can turn this situation into a positive by shining a spotlight on addiction. She recommended checking up on your loved ones. These checkups, along with education about the signs and symptoms, can help get people the care they need.

“Overdose deaths are preventable. Most communities, the health departments offer education related to administering naloxone,” said Dubey. “You can carry naloxone with you and it’s a super powerful tool to help prevent overdose deaths,” she added.

KIPRC’s study found an increase in overdose deaths among the youngest and oldest parts of the population but found most overdose deaths occur among middle-aged individuals.