HJNO Sep/Oct 2021

38 SEP / OCT 2021 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS LDH CORNER its, with 4,236 of those being opioid-relat- ed. This was a 44% increase in overall drug overdose emergency room visits and a 93% increase in opioid-related visits. For those of us on the front lines of the opioid crisis, it is extremely frustrating to see this situation worsen after successes achieved in recent years. Since 2018, when the opioid crisis prompted a federal public health emergency declaration, an extraor- dinary amount of state and federal resourc- es has been directed to prevention, treat- ment and recovery services. From that time through the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we gained momentum as we implemented successful evidence-based strategies and disseminated information and resources to policymakers and com- Here are the facts about where the opioid crisis stands today. Nationally, the CDC reports that drug overdose deaths in 2020 hit the highest number ever recorded, with a 29.4% in- crease. Louisiana had increases in opioid overdose death rates in every quarter of the year, exceeding the percentage increase be- ing experienced nationally. Estimates reported for 2020 indicate 909 opioid overdose deaths compared to 539 in 2019: a 68% increase. For fentanyl overdose deaths, we are reporting a 116% increase from 2019 to 2020. Our hospitals that treat substance use-related emergencies are also feeling the impact. Last year, 102 facilities reported 12,000 drug-related emergency room vis- OPIOID USE DISORDERS remain at the top of the list of health conditions and require immediate attention. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emer- gence of the Delta variant sweeping across our state has forced a shift in attention from this urgent policy priority. That’s not to say that the Louisiana De- partment of Health (LDH) has relegated the opioid epidemic to the sidelines. In the midst of a robust public health response devoted to COVID-19 and addressing the trauma suffered during a historic series of natural disasters, LDH continues to view opioid misuse as a health crisis. We all must face the reality that these multiple ongoing crises demand a comprehensive, coordi- nated health approach. COLUMN LDH CORNER Despite our best efforts to prevent and treat opioid use disorders and related overdose conditions, the opioid epidemic in Louisiana still poses amajor health threat. Call to Action: The Opioid Epidemic in Louisiana is Still a Crisis