ADA COUNTY, Idaho — For the first time in history, Americans are more likely to die from an opioid overdose than a car accident.
That's according to recent analysis by the National Safety Council, which states the odds of dying from an overdose are about 1 in 96, while the odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident are 1 in 103.
As a result of the increasing opioid epidemic spanning the nation, many states, counties and cities across the U.S. are joining federal lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies that misrepresent the dangers of prescribing addictive medications.
Ada County joined the federal opioid lawsuit in May and Ada County Coroner Dotti Owens believes that is the right move.
“I think we have a drug problem. I really, honestly do,” she said. “We’ve seen an increase over the last few years in overdose and drug-related deaths as an entirety.”
From January to July 2019, Ada County has seen 113 opioid-related deaths, the majority of them being accidental overdoses. Owens said 77 are already confirmed to have an opioid-related cause. The remaining 36 are pending toxicology results but are expected to also be confirmed as opioid-related.
In all of 2018, Ada County had 124 opioid-related deaths.
Owens said currently, when looking at demographics of those opioid-related deaths, 77 percent of them are white males between the ages of 40 to 58.
“Interestingly enough, our suicide rates mirror that,” Owens added.
But the deaths can't be pinpointed to one specific type of opioid.
"What we are seeing is a multi-drug where there will be four or five different prescription medications on board, not just opioids but Benzos," Owens said. "Or we’ll have an opioid, Benzo and an over-the-counter something or other. So we’re seeing more of a multi-drug than we are just one drug like Fentanyl or morphine or oxy.”
There's also another increasing trend the coroner's office is finding.
“Our methamphetamines picked up this year a lot," Owens said. "We’ve seen more methamphetamine this year and last year than we had in the previous five.”
According to Owens, the solution to lowering the number of opioid-related deaths isn't to pull medications from the shelves. The solution involves prescribing them in moderation and educating people better about the dangers of long-term opioid use.
“It’s an education issue," she said. "Alternative medicine – is there anything else that we can do so that we’re not throwing medications at everybody all the time? There is a need for it. We’ve got our chronic pain patients, hospice patients, cancer patients, we need to have that so we need a really good balance. But a lot of these [deaths] can definitely be prevented – could have been prevented.”
Currently, 15 Idaho counties have joined the nationwide opioid lawsuit. Those counties include Ada, Adams, Bannock, Blaine, Boise, Bonneville, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Elmore, Jerome, Latah, Minidoka, Owyhee and Payette.
Gov. Brad Little also addressed the opioid crisis in a meeting Wednesday afternoon with the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, saying he currently has a task force working on ways to combat it in the Gem State.
"You go to these small communities, you go to the large communities, you go to law enforcement, you go out to the penitentiary, you go anywhere -- this is a problem,” Little said.
Anyone struggling with opioid addiction or needing help, can contact the 211 Idaho Careline by dialing 211 or 1-800-926-2588. Those in need of help can also call the addiction hotline at (888) 659-7510.