What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess the relationship between law enforcement fentanyl submissions and synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths across 27 states between 2013 and 2014.

August 25, 2016MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly ReportOpen Access

Fentanyl Law Enforcement Submissions and Increases in Synthetic Opioid–Involved Overdose Deaths — 27 States, 2013–2014

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Authors

RGR. Matthew GladdenCenters for Disease Control and Prevention PMPedro Daniel MartínezUnited Nations Industrial Development Organization PSPuja SethCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

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Implication

Surveillance analysis finds illicit fentanyl seizures strongly correlate with rising synthetic opioid overdose deaths across 27 states, indicating illegal supply drives lethal poisonings.

Key Points

To assess the relationship between law enforcement fentanyl submissions and synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths across 27 states between 2013 and 2014.
Analyzed national and state-level data on drug products seized by law enforcement that tested positive for fentanyl (fentanyl submissions) during 2013–2014.
Evaluated synthetic opioid-involved deaths (excluding methadone) across 27 states with consistent overdose death certificate reporting and compared trends to therapeutic fentanyl prescribing rates.
Nationally, fentanyl submissions rose by 426% and synthetic opioid overdose deaths increased by 79% from 2013 to 2014, with submissions more than doubling again between 2014 and 2015 (5,343 to 13,882).
Increases in fentanyl submissions were strongly correlated with increases in synthetic opioid deaths across the 27 states, with surges concentrated in eight high-burden states and showing no correlation with legal prescribing rates.
Synthetic opioid deaths in high-burden states disproportionately affected males and individuals aged 15–44 years, with state-level reports confirming illicit fentanyl as the primary driver of mortality.

Cite This Study

Gladden et al. (2016) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69dcd1f52e182f147e133462 https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6533a2

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Implication

Surveillance analysis finds illicit fentanyl seizures strongly correlate with rising synthetic opioid overdose deaths across 27 states, indicating illegal supply drives lethal poisonings.

Fentanyl Law Enforcement Submissions and Increases in Synthetic Opioid–Involved Overdose Deaths — 27 States, 2013–2014

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Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Fentanyl Law Enforcement Submissions and Increases in Synthetic Opioid–Involved Overdose Deaths — 27 States, 2013–2014

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Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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