(Sheriff of Tulare County via AP, file)
PHOENIX – A disturbing trend has emerged in 2020 regarding the increase in drug deaths in 2019 in Maricopa County.
Nationwide, 1,752 overdose deaths have been reported this year, with another 550 cases under investigation.
That is almost double the total number of deaths in Maricopa County in 2019, which was 1,078.
According to Cheri Oz, who is a special agent in charge of the Phoenix Field Division for the Drug Enforcement Agency, the sharp increase could be attributed year-on-year.
One reason Oz argued for the increase is the low price of lethal barbiturates such as fentanyl which is very addictive.
‘[Fentanyl] is a cheap item to have. It is a cheap remedy to buy. It’s cheap to make. And that it can be placed in other drugs, ”Oz said. “I think we have random addicts and random overdoses because people believe they are buying something else.”
Tell us KTAR News 92.3 FM that drugs such as fentanyl are particularly dangerous as they become addictive and are lethal to the user in the long run.
“It’s a good business model, it lets you go back to the same provider because you are willing to pay any price to feed your addiction,” Oz said.
‘It’s a horrible price to think about what it costs: what it costs your community, what it costs your parents, what it costs your children. It’s a price no one would pay if they knew how much it really was. ‘
Oz added that the current COVID-19 pandemic is playing a role in the drastic increase in drug overdose deaths, including the lack of social interaction that many are currently experiencing.
“We have a new normal that consists of not normal things, like not seeing each other or touching other people,” Oz said. ‘And people thrive on personal interaction. If we have none of this, people will look for other ways to provide for their needs. ”
The increase in overdose deaths in Arizona reflects the patterns seen nationally.
A CDC study earlier this year found that 81,230 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States during a twelve-month period ending in May 2020, representing the largest number of overdose drugs during a twelve-month period that ever recorded.
The increase in overdose deaths has led people like Oz to focus on the steps that can be taken at the community level to prevent overdose deaths from continuing to rise.
Above all, Oz believes those communities should take the overdose thrust by teaching people about the risks involved in becoming addicted to drugs like fentanyl.
“And any kind of illegal drug starts out very cheap,” Oz said. “It is important that we educate our children, inform our communities about the dangers that fall into the trap.”
Griselda Zetino of KTAR News 92.3 FM contributed to this report.