Statewide Iowa — A new report finds deaths in Iowa from alcohol, drugs and suicide have risen sharply in recent years and the outlook will likely continue to worsen.
John Auerbach, president and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, says the latest figures for Iowa are “very troubling” and the pandemic is only making matters worse.
The report is based on figures from 2019, which he says is the last year for which the researchers had complete data. All indications, he says, point to a worsening of the figures across all categories for 2020 as the pandemic brought more stress.
Without urgent action, he says mental health issues and substance use — which are already on a grim trajectory — will continue to rise. The report recommends several courses Iowa’s leaders could follow.
He says the prevention of illness and injury should be a national priority, adding, Iowans also need to work hard to combat misperceptions.
Over the last decade, the number of alcohol, drug related, and suicide deaths increased by 52 percent nationwide, while during 2019, alcohol and drug-induced deaths increased, while suicide rates were slightly lower. The report is called “Pain in the Nation: Alcohol, Drug and Suicide Deaths.” See the full report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Trust for America’s Health at www.tfah.org
