A drug epidemic sweeping America has finally reached the Hamptons
James Kirkikis/Shutterstock
No longer immune to the epidemic affecting communities across the United States, opioid use is on the rise in Southampton and East Hampton, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal.
Between 2010 and 2016, more than 50 people died from opioid-related drug overdoses in the Hamptons. The rate of overdose in the area went up nearly 70% in that time period - above the national average increase of 55%, according to the Suffolk County Police Department and the Centers for Disease Control.
The problem didn't crop out of nowhere. For years, pain medications were overprescribed. After stricter rules were enforced, many turned to similar street substances, like heroin.
"We certainly recognize we're not immune to the scourge of drug abuse and misuse and the associated heroin epidemic," East Hampton Police Captain Christopher Anderson told the WSJ.
littleny / Shutterstock
Schools and the police departments in the area have begun an initiative to distribute Narcan kits, a drug that can negate the effects of opioids in the event of an overdose.
The problem in the Hamptons mirrors the issues happening in other summer enclaves, like Nantucket, where a lack of social support services and relative physical isolation exacerbate the issue.
The rate of overdose deaths across the US has doubled in the last 15 years, according to a new report by the CDC.
- 6 reasons why you should visit Ladakh this summer
- TVS iQube gets a new variant priced under ₹1 lakh, ST variant gets a bigger battery
- As English players begin their premature IPL exodus, Gavaskar calls for action against England Cricket Board
- Top 10 destinations for river rafting in India in 2024
- Should you enrol your child in an online university like IGNOU?
- Nothing Phone (2a) blue edition launched
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market