Drug overdoses an unintended consequence of COVID stimulus payments, experts say
Fox News
Substance abuse has surged across the U.S. as a result of coronavirus-induced isolation, but there is also a correlation between stimulus payments and overdoses, experts say.
"We definitely believe that there’s a correlation between the recent stimulus checks that were sent out and the overdoses we’re seeing right now," Lauren Cummings, executive director of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Substance Abuse Coalition, told Fox News. "We saw an increase in overdoses after the first round of stimulus payouts. We annually see an increase in overdoses following tax returns." The Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force on March 23 reported three fatal overdoses and 13 non-fatal overdoses in the prior week. The stimulus payments, on top of isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, have been a "deadly combination," according to Cummings.
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