Yesterday, Trust for America's Health released a report that found that alcohol, drugs, and suicide accounted for 186,763 deaths across the U.S. in 2020.
In New Jersey, there were 826 alcohol-induced deaths and 2,921 drug-related deaths in 2020. These numbers represent increases of 26% and 2% from 2019, respectively. Alternatively, the suicide rate actually fell by 12% in New Jersey in 2020, still accounting for 679 deaths in that year. The suicide rate across the nation fell, as well, in 2020 when compared to 2019; however, it was by a much smaller percentage than in New Jersey, just 3%.
The majority of the suicide rate decline was found to come from adults ages 35 to 74, while rates among those under 18 and those older than 74 generally remained unchanged. However, the suicide rates among those age 18 to 34 increased.
Nadine Gracia, President and CEO of Trust for America's Health, was quoted on nj1015.com discussing the total death rates of alcohol, drugs, and suicide combined saying, "We saw an unprecedented increase in these deaths, up by 20%, which is the highest one-year increase that's ever been recorded."
Click here to read more on this story, and click here to access the report from Trust for America's Health.
