Higher temps may increase overdose deaths in the US

Rising temperatures in the United States, exacerbated by climate change, are increasingly recognized as a significant public health threat, particularly concerning drug overdose deaths. A recent study highlights the alarming correlation between extreme heat exposure and fatal overdoses, revealing that individuals who use drugs are particularly vulnerable. Factors such as impaired thermoregulation due to drug use, especially opioids and stimulants, compound the risks associated with high temperatures. The research, which analyzed county-level mortality data from 1999 to 2020, found that in the