Hawaii, number one on the list where people live the longest (see post on Minnesota, number two on the list), reported almost the same thing that Minnesota reported (along with using statistics in the same way):
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/25728550/overdoses-tops-list-of-hawaii-injury-deaths
6/9/2014, Overdoses tops list of Hawaii injury deaths
HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaii health officials say more people are dying from drug overdoses than car crashes in the state.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports 150 people died of overdoses in 2012 and most were unintentional.
Data released last week by Dan Galanis, the state Department of Health’s epidemiologist for its Injury Prevention Program, indicate 773 people died from drug poisonings from 2009 to 2013.
Galanis says the state’s second leading cause of death over the five-year period was falls, with 685 victims. Motor vehicle accidents claimed 618 lives.
Hawaii experts say there’s a lack of public awareness about how serious drug overdoses have become.
Galanis says overdoses from narcotic painkillers have contributed to the surge as powerful drugs are prescribed to deal with long-term, chronic pain.
I hate to say it, but it looks like the CDC — in cahoots with state departments of health (and along with the DEA) — is running around the U.S. bad-mouthing chronic pain patients… And I don’t understand why the CDC is saying chronic pain patients caused this problem, when it knows that’s not true.
Man, what did I ever do to the CDC? Does the DEA have power over the CDC? WTF?
If I start believing in conspiracy theories, does that mean I’ve turned into a Republican? 😀
All Things Chronic 