Recent research indicates a shift in consumption patterns: individuals now prefer smoking fentanyl to injecting it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 70% of the 109,000 overdose deaths in 2022 involved fentanyl, with an increasing number of users opting to smoke it.
Between 2020 and 2022, the percentage of overdose deaths with evidence of smoking increased to 73.7%, while injection-related deaths decreased by 29.1%. These changes are more pronounced when it comes to fentanyl.
Deaths Related To Smoking Fentanyl
The study is based on data from death certificates, post-mortem toxicological tests and forensic reports from 28 law enforcement jurisdictions. This information made the transition clear: opioid users moved from injecting heroin to smoking fentanyl.
Deaths related to fentanyl increased by 8.4%. However, the alarming figure is the 109% increase in deaths with evidence of having smoked it.
According to High Times, the University of Utah explained that "The fastest way to get a drug to the brain is by smoking it. When a drug like tobacco smoke is taken into the lungs, nicotine (the addictive chemical in tobacco) seeps into lung blood where it can quickly travel to the brain. This fast delivery is one reason smoking cigarettes is so addicting." This could explain the shift from injections to smoking.
Despite the potential risks of injection, the CDC emphasizes that smoking can increase the risk of overdose. Thus, through this research, the organization seeks to promote educational programs and harm reduction initiatives to counteract the escalating death toll caused by this opioid.
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