Ep. 300: The deaths of despair

Guest: Dr. Benjamin F. Miller, Well Being Trust

In May in British Columbia, 170 people died from suspected illicit drug use: that’s more than five people a day.

That’s a 93 percent increase in death due to overdose over last May. Compare that to 52 deaths to COVID-19 in May and it is not unreasonable to ask if the spike in overdose deaths is related to the lockdown associated with C-19.

According to Well Being Trust, the number of additional deaths attributable to COVID-19, as a result of deaths of despair, could be as high as 150,000 people in the US. Death from alcoholism, drug overdoses and suicide, also known as deaths of despair, were already at record levels in the United States before COVID-19.

Dr Benjamin F Miller says, “We know the stressors that accompany this pandemic. They are job loss and financial instability, anxiety, grief, depression and other factors. Add in social isolation, a loss of hope and many health care programs that weren’t accessible.” Miller follows up saying he is very worried about people who need help.

We invited Dr Benjamin F. Miller of Well Being Trust to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the desperate need to reopen assistance programs that can and will save lives.