FRANKFORT, Ky. — A state report says fatal drug overdoses surged nearly 50% last year in Kentucky and that isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was a “major contributing factor.”
The report notes that more than 1,964 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2020, easily eclipsing the state’s prior record level of fatal drug overdoses. It says the surge also mirrored a national increase in overdose deaths.
The report was issued Tuesday by the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and the Office of Drug Control Policy.
“One life lost to an overdose death is one too many. This past year has been devastating—between the battle against the global COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis, Kentucky has been hit hard,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a release. “Now more than ever, we need every resource and everyone working together to stop this scourge, which continues to shatter families and ravage our communities.”
The full 2020 Overdose Fatality Report can be found here.
Resources for addiction:
- KY Help Call Center 833-8KY-HELP (833-859-4357)
- findhelpnowky.org/ky
- Kentucky State Police Angel initiative
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