Suspected opioid overdoses in South Carolina have increased by 53 percent during the coronavirus pandemic, according to data collected by the state's department of health and environmental control (DHEC).
The state compared EMS responses to overdoses over the course of the pandemic, March 13 through July 31, to last year's figures. While overdoses dropped in July, when compared to earlier months, the number is still higher than what it was in 2019.
Greenwood County has the highest overdose rate in the state, followed by Jasper County, Union County and Lancaster County.
Newsweek reached out to South Carolina's DHEC for comment, but did not hear back before publication.
The surge in overdoses is not unique to South Carolina. Opioid overdoses have been on the rise across the country since the global health crisis began.
ER visits for drug overdoses in Alabama also peaked in July, and health experts expect to see a greater number of these deaths in August.
Dr. Darlene Traffanstedt, the medical director of Adult Health & Family Planning at the Jefferson County Health Department, told WTVY that since March, there has been a rise in overdose events.
She attributed these increases to conditions like social isolation and decreased access to drug treatment, which were exacerbated by lockdowns mandated by state governments in response to the outbreak.
A paper published in The Association of American Medical Colleges last month noted that these changes to everyday life heighten the risk of substance abuse.
"Anxiety, grief, isolation, financial worries, changes at home and work, and an ongoing sense of uncertainty can all threaten people with a substance use disorder (SUD) as well as those at risk of developing one," author Stacy Weiner wrote.
Weiner mentions that unstable drug supply chains lead users to find new dealers or try new drugs, which has resulted in more overdose cases directed to the morgue than hospitals.
The American Medical Association (AMA) issued a report on opioid overdoses as health experts watched numbers spike during the pandemic.
"The AMA is greatly concerned by an increasing number of reports from national, state and local media suggesting increases in opioid-related mortality—particularly from illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs," the brief read. "More than 40 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality as well as ongoing concerns for those with a mental illness or substance use disorder in counties and other areas within the state."
The nation's largest association of physicians called on governors to enact emergency orders in response to the opioid crisis, and to adopt new rules from the the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Under South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster's executive order, the state was under one of the nation's shortest stay-at-home order, which was in effect between April 6 and April 20. Newsweek reached out to the governor for comment, but did not hear back before publication.
As of Wednesday, South Carolina has reported 107,274 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 2,248 deaths, according to the state's DHEC.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
