The U.S. has recorded its highest number of drug overdose deaths during a yearlong period, according to public health officials, as the country struggles to get a grip on the coronavirus pandemic that has upended millions of people’s lives. Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this week shows that more than 81,000 died from drug overdoses during a 12-month time frame ending in May. Although overdose deaths were already increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health agency says the latest numbers suggest “an acceleration of overdose deaths” during the pandemic. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/dec/18/us-records-highest-number-drug-overdose-deaths-dur
