A congressional committee also issues a report regarding the 2021 data.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an updated opioid addiction report this week, documenting the 107,000 drug fatalities in 2021. The congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released a separate report regarding this data, estimating that opioid addiction cost the American economy $1.47 trillion in that year alone. The committee’s report went on to say that “the rise in fatal opioid overdoses in 2021 suggests the total cost is likely to continue to increase.”
“JEC is valuing all the various loss that happens with addiction,” said Representative David Trone of Maryland, a sitting member of the JEC who previously chaired the U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking. “There’s loss of productivity, folks in the job force, all the medical health costs, just a huge number of costs,” he added.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Director Walensky as the CDC evaluates drug overdose data and publishes findings.
- For CDC officials as they seek solutions to the opioid crisis.
- For members of the congressional committee as they assess the high costs of drug addiction to the nation.
Sources: AP, Reuters
