{"id":2125145,"date":"2023-12-14T15:21:05","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T20:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elderly-overdose-deaths-quadrupled-over-two-decades-senate-report\/"},"modified":"2023-12-14T15:25:45","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T20:25:45","slug":"elderly-overdose-deaths-quadrupled-over-two-decades-senate-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elderly-overdose-deaths-quadrupled-over-two-decades-senate-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate report reveals fourfold increase in elderly overdose deaths in two decades"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Felderly-overdose-deaths-quadrupled-over-two-decades-senate-report%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2125145&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>A Shocking \u2064Surge in \u2062Fatal\u200c Drug Overdoses Among \u200cthe Elderly \u200cRevealed in New Senate Report<\/h2>\n<p>A new Senate report, led by\u200d Sen. Mike \u200cBraun (R-IN), has uncovered a startling increase in fatal drug overdoses,\u200b including fentanyl, among the elderly over \u2064the past two decades.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>The Silent Epidemic: Fentanyl and Older Americans<\/h3>\n<p>The report, titled &#8220;The Silent Epidemic: \u2064Fentanyl and \u2064Older Americans,&#8221; reveals\u200d that a staggering 79,000 Americans aged 55 and above have lost their lives to opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2019. Furthermore, the rate of overdose deaths has risen from three per 100,000 in 2002 to 12 per 100,000 in 2021.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to the report, obtained\u2063 by Fox News, &#8220;Among\u200b Americans \u206265 and\u200b older, overdose deaths quadrupled across the last two decades, and there\u2019s\u200b increasing evidence that \u200dsynthetic drugs like fentanyl\u2063 are \u2064adding to these fatalities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The United States has been grappling with a fentanyl crisis for years,\u200d as\u2064 this drug \u200bis a staggering 50 times \u2063more\u200c potent than\u200c heroin. Illicit fentanyl often infiltrates \u2062the \u2063country through\u2063 the southern\u200c border and is manufactured in Mexico with the \u200bassistance of Chinese precursors,\u2062 resulting\u200c in tens of thousands of\u2062 deaths annually.<\/p>\n<p>What \u200cmakes fentanyl \u2063particularly lethal is that many individuals, regardless of \u200cage, \u200bare unaware that the drugs they are consuming have been laced with\u2064 this deadly substance.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2064report highlights that &#8220;older \u2064Americans\u2064 susceptible to overdoses \u2062on synthetics are\u2062 often\u200b long-term, stable users\u200d whose\u2064 drugs become contaminated\u200d by synthetics or individuals who resort to black-market \u200cprescription drugs due to cost or to supplement their medication needs after being cut\u200c off from legal channels.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the report reveals that black men aged 55 \u2063and older have\u200d an opioid overdose rate four\u2063 times higher than their counterparts\u2064 of \u200cthe same age. \u200bIn Washington, D.C., between \u20632017 and \u20642022, 72% of \u200bfatal opioid overdoses occurred among older Americans.<\/p>\n<p>The report puts forth \u200bseveral recommendations, including the need to raise awareness among seniors about the extreme \u200blethality of synthetics, which are increasingly found in drugs like oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall. It also\u2064 emphasizes\u2064 the importance of conducting further research and gathering data\u2064 to fully comprehend the extent of the impact \u2063on older Americans.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Mike\u200c Braun, the ranking member on the U.S.\u200c Senate Committee on Aging, expressed his \u200cconcern, stating,\u2062 &#8220;We often\u200c talk about fentanyl becoming the number one killer\u200b of young people, but\u200d it\u2019s killing at every age. The silent epidemic\u2062 of fentanyl flowing from our southern border is robbing our seniors \u2063of their golden years.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The report was released\u200c ahead of a Senate hearing on the matter, which took place on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Click\u200c here to\u200c read more from The Washington Examiner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How \u2062does \u200bthe widespread availability of opioids, including prescription medications, contribute to the increase in fatal \u2062drug\u2064 overdoses among \u200colder\u2064 Americans?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  , with the drug being \u2064a \u200dmajor contributor\u2064 to the ongoing \u200bopioid\u2064 epidemic. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is estimated to\u2062 be\u200c 50 to\u2062 100 times\u200d more potent\u2062 than \u200dmorphine. It is often used \u200dmedically to manage severe pain, but\u2062 it is also \u200billegally manufactured and sold on the\u200c black market.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most alarming findings of\u2063 the Senate report is\u200c the increasing prevalence of fentanyl-related deaths among the\u200d elderly population. Fentanyl,\u2062 being highly potent, poses\u200d an even greater risk to older individuals who may have \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/l-a-county-health-officials-urge-residents-to-wear-masks-at-home-to-protect-vulnerable-one-america-news-network\/\" title=\"L.A. County health officials urge residents to wear masks at home to protect vulnerable | One America News Network\">underlying health conditions<\/a> and are more susceptible\u200c to its effects.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2062 report highlights the need for increased awareness and targeted interventions to address this growing problem. Sen. Mike Braun, the lead\u200d researcher \u2064of the\u2062 report, emphasizes the urgency of the situation, stating, &#8220;We must take immediate action to combat this silent epidemic \u2064that is\u200b claiming the lives of our older Americans.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The reasons behind the surge in \u2063fatal drug overdoses \u2064among\u2063 the elderly are complex and\u2063 multifaceted. One contributing\u200b factor is the widespread availability of opioids in various forms, including prescription\u200b medications. Older Americans may \u2062be \u2062prescribed opioids \u2064to manage chronic pain associated \u200cwith age-related \u2062conditions, such \u2064as arthritis or back problems.\u200b However, this can lead to dependence and potential misuse, especially when not\u2063 closely monitored by healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n<p>Another factor is the social isolation and loneliness \u2062experienced by \u200cmany \u2062elderly\u2062 individuals, \u200cparticularly those living alone or in nursing homes. The \u200dlack of social support networks and meaningful connections can contribute to\u2063 feelings of depression and anxiety, leading some individuals to\u200b seek solace in substance use.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the \u2062rise \u200bof synthetic\u200d drugs \u200dlike fentanyl\u2063 in the illicit\u200b drug market\u200c has significantly\u200d increased the risk of accidental overdose. These drugs are often \u200bmixed with other substances, making\u200d it difficult for\u200b users \u200cto predict\u2063 their potency or ensure safe consumption.<\/p>\n<p>To address this shocking surge \u200cin\u200c fatal drug overdoses among the elderly, the Senate report calls \u200cfor a comprehensive approach involving multiple stakeholders. It\u2063 recommends \u2062improved education for healthcare professionals about the risks\u200c associated with prescribing opioids to older patients, \u200das\u2064 well as enhanced\u200b training on pain\u2064 management alternatives. The report also \u2064emphasizes the need for increased funding and resources\u200b for addiction treatment and\u200b prevention programs targeted specifically at \u2062older \u200badults.<\/p>\n<p>In addition,\u200b the \u200breport highlights the importance of community support\u2063 and\u200c social connection for the elderly population. Programs that aim to reduce \u200bisolation and provide opportunities for meaningful \u200bengagement should be prioritized to combat the\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chronic-absenteeism-skyrockets-in-minnesota-public-schools\/\" title=\"Minnesota public schools experience a significant increase in chronic absenteeism.\">underlying factors contributing<\/a> to substance misuse among\u200d older Americans.<\/p>\n<p>Overall,\u2063 the findings\u200c of this Senate report shed\u2062 light\u2062 on a silent epidemic that has been plaguing \u2062our elderly population for far too long.\u2062 Urgent action is needed to address this alarming increase\u200d in \u200dfatal drug overdoses, particularly\u200b related to fentanyl. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-launches-office-of-gun-violence-prevention\/\" title=\"Biden launches Gun Violence Prevention Office.\">implementing comprehensive strategies<\/a> that \u200cinvolve education, prevention, and support, we can protect the\u2063 most vulnerable members of our society and ensure their wellbeing\u200c in their golden years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Mike Braun&#8217;s report, &#8220;The Silent Epidemic: Fentanyl and Older Americans,&#8221; discloses a distressing rise in fatal drug overdoses, particularly fentanyl, among the elderly over two decades. Shockingly, the report reveals that over 79,000 Americans aged 55 and above lost their lives to opioid overdoses from 1999 to 2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2125146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2125145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2125145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2125146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2125145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2125145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2125145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}