Fentanyl takes record toll on US army
The US army lost 127 soldiers to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, between 2015 and 2022, according to figures obtained by the Washington Post. That’s more than double the number of army personnel killed in combat in Afghanistan over the same period. In 2021, the last year with complete data available, at least 27 soldiers died after a fentanyl overdose, a record high. Texas, home to around 17 per cent of the Army’s enlisted soldiers, has a higher drug death rate among service members than the general state population. The investigation, which is worth reading in full, found that of all the US armed forces, fentanyl has hit the army hardest. Families and lawmakers are demanding better public data on overdoses and improved treatment for service members suffering from addiction.
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