Fentanyl once again fuels exponential spike in overdose deaths - Axios DenverLog InLog InAxios Denver is an Axios company.

Fentanyl once again fuels exponential spike in overdose deaths

Data: Denver Public Health & Environment; Tory Lysik/AxiosDenver drug overdose deaths surged for the second straight year — an "exponential" increase largely , local health officials say. Deaths related to opioids surged by 308% between 2019 and 2021, according to city data released Wednesday, which marked International Overdose Awareness Day. At least 216 deaths in Denver have been linked to drugs so far this year, per from the Office of the Medical Examiner. State of play: Last September, the city free fentanyl test strips and the opiate overdose reversal drug Naloxone, commonly called Narcan, to . The initial rollout resulted in a amid high demand for the reversal drug — and need remains high with over 5,000 requests this year, health department spokesperson Amber Campbell tells Axios Denver. What they're saying: After from fentanyl overdoses in Commerce City this past February — marking the nation's largest single fentanyl overdose event — "demand for our kits exploded," Campbell said. "It took us some time to get caught up, but now orders are shipping within one to two weeks of being received," she added. What's next: The city is hosting the from Sept. 12-13 for public health professionals across a variety of fields to share strategies for managing the opioid epidemic. The big picture: Over 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2021 — more than any other year on record, per the National Center for Health Statistics. That's up 15% from 2020, a previous record, Axios' Jacob Knutson . Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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