"Rise of Smoking as Leading Cause of Fatal Drug Overdoses"

A study by the CDC has revealed that smoking opioids has overtaken injection as the primary route of drug overdoses, raising concerns about the lack of strategies to address this shift. The percentage of overdose deaths with evidence of smoking has quadrupled, while those with evidence of injecting drugs have also risen. The rise in smoking-related overdoses is attributed to the increasing practice of polysubstance use and the potency of synthetic opioids mixed with stimulants. The study underscores the need for harm-reduction efforts to include safer smoking supplies and inhalation spaces, especially as the opioid epidemic continues to claim lives.