Climate Change Could Make Opioid Crisis Worse, Claims Professor

Climate Change Causes Opioid Deaths
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Climate change could make the opioid crisis worse, a Penn State University professor claims.

According to CleanTechnica:

In 2016, more than 63,600 Americans died from drug overdoses, triple the 1999 rate. The overprescribing of opioid painkillers largely is driving this spike in deaths. But experts suggest that other things also are at work — including the effects of climate change.

Scientists who have been studying opioid deaths across the country believe that socioeconomic factors and natural disasters should become part of any national conversation about how to tackle America’s wave of opioid deaths. In recent years, global warming has fueled a growing number of turbulent weather events that have taken a grim toll on the human psyche.

“It is reasonable to expect that damage and destruction cause emotional and mental health problems and lead to drug abuse, both new and existing users,” said Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics at Pennsylvania State University. “There are long-lasting effects of such calamities, and they do not tend to diminish.”

And perhaps, Professor Goetz’s co-author goes on to suggest, Hurricane Katrina might be the reason so many more people started taking opioids in New Orleans…

The incidence of drug deaths in New Orleans, for example, between 1999 and 2004 was 3.45 drug deaths per 100,000 people, a rate that rose to 16.1 between 2005 — when Hurricane Katrina struck — and 2014, according to Meri Davlasheridze, assistant professor of marine sciences at Texas A&M, who is working with Goetz. Areas affected by Superstorm Sandy also showed a sharp increase in drug death rates after 2012, she said. “There are many factors that contributed to this rise, and disasters are one of them,” she said.

And here – courtesy of Numberwatch – is a short list of some of the other things that experts such as Goetz and Davlasheridze have claimed are caused by global warming:

AIDSAfghan poppies destroyedAfrican holocaustaged deathspoppies more potentAfrica devastated,  Africa in conflict, African aid threatened,  aggressive weedsAir France crashair pocketsair pressure changes,  airport farewells virtualairport malariaAgulhas currentAlaskan towns slowly destroyedAl Qaeda and Taliban Being Helpedallergy increaseallergy season longeralligators in the ThamesAlps meltingAmazon a desertAmerican dream end,  amphibians breeding earlier (or not),  anaphylactic reactions to bee stings,  ancient forests dramatically changedanimals head for the hills, animals shrink,  Antarctic grass flourishesAntarctic ice growsAntarctic ice shrinksAntarctic sea life at risk,   anxiety treatmentalgal bloomsarchaeological sites threatened, Arctic bogs meltArctic in bloomArctic ice freeArctic ice melt fasterArctic lakes disappear,  Arctic tundra lost, Arctic warming (not), a rose by any other name smells of nothing, asteroid strike riskasthmaAtlantic less saltyAtlantic more salty,   atmospheric circulation modifiedattack of the killer jellyfishavalanches reducedavalanches increased,  Baghdad snowBahrain under water,  bananas growbarbarisationbats decline beer and bread prices to soarbeer better,  beer worsebeetle infestationbeef shortage,  bet for $10,000big melt faster, billion dollar research projectsbillion homelessbillions face riskbillions of deaths,  bird loss acceleratingbird populations dyingbird strikesbird visitors dropbirds confusedbirds decline (Wales)birds driven northbirds face longer migrationsbirds on long migrations threatened,  birds return earlybirds shrink(Aus)birds shrink (USA)bittern boom endsblackbirds stop singingblackbirds threatenedBlack Hawk down,  blizzardsblood contaminatedblue mussels returnborders redrawn,  bluetonguebrains shrinkbrewers droopbridge collapse (Minneapolis), Britain one big cityBritain SiberianBritain’s bananasBritish monsoon,  brothels strugglebrown Irelandbubonic plague,  Buddhist temple threatened,  building collapsebuilding season extensionbushfires,   butterflies move northbutterflies reelingbutterfly savedcarbon crimescaribou declineCambodian sex trade fuelledcamel deaths,  cancercancer deaths in England, cannibalism,  cataractscats more amorouscaterpillar biomass shift, cave paintings threatened,  chagas diseasechildhood insomnia, children’s mental healthchocolate shortageCholeracircumcision in declinecirrus disappearancecivil unrestcloud increase,  clownfish get lostcoast beauty spots lostcockroach migration, cod go south,  coffee threatenedcoffee berry borercoffee berry disease, cold climate creatures survive,  cold spellscold spells (Australia)colder waters  (Long Island)cold wave (India)cold weather (world)cold winterscomputer modelsconferencesconflictconflict with Russia,  consumers foot the billcoral bleaching, coral fish suffercoral reefs dyingcoral reefs grow, coral reefs shrinkcoral reefs twilight cost of trillionscougar attackscrabgrass menace cradle of civilisation threatenedcreatures move uphill, crime increasecrocodile sex, crocodiles driven from watercrops devastatedcrop failures increasecross-breedingcrumbling roads, buildings and sewage systemscryptococcal diseasecurriculum change,  cyclones (Australia),   damselflies forced back to UKdanger to kid’s healthDarfurDartford Warbler plague,  daylight increase, deadly virus outbreaksdeath rate increase (US)death rate dropdeaths to reach 6 million, decades of progress at riskDengue hemorrhagic feverdepressiondesert advance,  desert retreat,  destruction of the environment,  dig sites threatened,  disastersdiseases move northdiving reefs closeddog disease,  dozen deadly diseases – or notdrought,    ducks and geese declinedust bowl in the corn beltdust doubles,  earlier pollen season,  Earth axis tiltEarth biodiversity crisisEarth crumblingEarth dyingEarth even hotterEarth light dimmingEarth lopsided, Earth meltingEarth morbid feverEarth on fast trackEarth past point of no returnEarth slowing down,  Earth spins faster, Earth to explode,earth upside down,  earthquakesearthquakes reduxEl Niño intensification, end of the world as we know iterosionemerging infectionsencephalitis, English villages lostequality threatenedEurope simultaneously baking and freezing,  eutrophicationeveryplace hit hardestexpansion of university climate groupsextinctions (apeshumancivilisation, koalaslizards logicInuitsmallest butterflycod, penguinspikaspolar bears,   possums,  walrus,  tigers,  toadsturtlespandas,  penguinsplantsladybirdsrhinocerossalmontrout,  wild flowerswoodlice,  a million specieshalf of all animal and plant speciesmountain species,  not polar bearsbarrier reefleachessalamanderstropical insectsflowersexperts muzzledextreme changes to Californiafading fall foliage,  famine, farmers benefitfarmers go underfarm output boostfarming soil decline,  fashion disasterfeverfigurehead sackedfir cone bonanzafires fanned in Nepalfish biggerfish catches dropfish downsize,   fish deaf,  fish feminisedfish get lostfish head northfish lopsidedfish shrinking,  fish stocks at riskfish stocks declinefive million illnessesflesh eating diseaseflies on Everest,  flood patterns changefloods floods of beaches and citiesflood of migrants, flood preparation for crisisflora dispersedFlorida economic declineflowers in peril, flowers wiltflying squirrels move upfog increase in San Franciscofog decrease in San Franciscofood poisoningfood prices risefood prices soarfood production increased,  food safety affectedfood security threat (SA)football team migration,   forest declineforest expansionfoundations threatenedfoundations increase grantsfrog with extra headsfrostsfrostbitefrost damage increased,   fungi fruitfulfungi invasionfungi rot the world, games changeGarden of Eden wiltsgeese decline in Hampshiregenetic changesgenetic diversity decline, gene pools slashedgeysers imperiled, giant icebergs (Australia)giant icebergs (Arctic)giant oysters invade,  giant pythons invadegiant squid migrategingerbread houses collapseglacial earthquakesglacial retreat,   glacier grows (California)glaciers on Snowdenglacier wrappedglass meltsglobal cooling,  glowing clouds,  golf course to drowngolf Masters wreckedgrain output drop (China)grain output stagnating (India)grandstandinggrasslands wettergravity shift,  Great Barrier Reef 95% dead,  great tits copegreening of the North,  Grey whales lose weightGulf Stream failurehabitat losshaggis threatenedHantavirus pulmonary syndrome,    harvest increaseharvest shrinkagehay fever epidemichealth affectedhealth of children harmedhealth riskshealth risks (even more)heart deathsheart disease, heart attacks and strokes (Australia)heat waves, hedgehogs baldhibernation affected,   hibernation ends too soonhibernation ends too late,  homeless 50 millionhome runshornets,  human development faces unprecedented reversalhuman fertility reducedhuman health riskhuman race oblivionhuman rights violationshurricanes,  hurricane reductionhurricanes fewerhurricanes more intensehurricanes not,  hydropower problemshyperthermia deathshyphthermia deathsice age, ice hockey extinctice sheet growthice sheet shrinkage, icebergsice sheet tipping point,  illegal immigrationillness and deathinclement weatherIndia drowninginfrastructure failure (Canada),  indigestionindustry threatenedinfectious diseases,  inflation in China, insect explosion, insect invasioninsurance premium risesInuit displacementInuit poisonedInuit suinginvasion of alien worms, invasion of Antarctic aliens,  invasion of Asian carpinvasion of cane toadsinvasion of caterpillars,  invasion of cats,  invasion of crabgrassinvasion of heronsinvasion of jellyfishinvasion of king crabsinvasion of lampreysinvasion of midgesinvasion of pine beetlesinvasion of rats (China)invasion of slugs island disappearsislands sinkingItaly robbed of pastaitchier poison ivyJapan’s cherry blossom threatened,  jellyfish explosionjets fall from sky,  Kew Gardens taxedkidney stoneskiller cornflakeskilling uskitten boomkoalas leaves inediblekoalas under threatkrill decline lake emptieslake shrinking and growinglandslideslandslides of ice at 140 mphlarge trees declinelawsuits increaselawsuit successful, lawyers’ income increased (surprise surprise!),  lawyers want morelegionnaires’ surge lives lostlizards super intelligentlives savedlobsters grow,  Loch Ness monster dead, locust plagues suppressedlow oxygen zones threaten sea lifelush growth in rain forests,  Lyme diseaseMajor vegetation shifts,  Malaria,   Malaria decline,  malnutrition, mammoth dung meltmammoth ivory bonanzamanatees battlemango harvest failsMaple production advanced, Maple syrup shortagemarmots fattermarine diseases, marine food chain decimated, Meaching (end of the world)Meat eating to stopMediterranean risesmegacryometeorsMelanomaMelanoma declinemental health declinemental illnessmethane emissions from plantsmethane burps, methane runawaymelting permafrostMexican climate migrant floodMiddle Kingdom convulsesmigration,  migratory birds huge lossesmicrobes to decompose soil carbon more rapidlymilk production lostminorities hit, monkeys at risk,  monkeys on the moveMont Blanc growsmonuments imperiledmoose dyingmore bad air days,   more research neededmortality increased, mosquitoes adaptingmountain (Everest) shrinking,  mountaineers fears,  mountains break upmountains green and flowering,   mountains tallermortality lowerMubarak fallmurder rate increase,  musk ox declineMyanmar cyclonenarwhals at risknarwhals suffocateNational Parks damagedNational security implicationsnative wildlife overwhelmednatural disasters  quadrupleneurological diseases,  new islandsnext ice ageNFL threatenedNile delta damagednoctilucent cloudsno effect in IndiaNorthwest Passage openednuclear plants bloomoaks dying,  oaks move north obesityoblivionocean acidificationocean acidification fasterocean dead spotsocean dead zones unleashedocean deserts expandocean salt extremesocean oxygen crisis,  ocean waves speed up,  Olympic Games to endopera house to be destroyedoutdoor hockey threatened,   owls turn brownoxygen depletion zonesoyster herpesozone repair slowed, ozone risepeat bogs problempeat bogs no problempenguin chicks frozen, penguin chicks smallerpenguins in the darkpenguin populations devastatedpenguins replaced by jellyfish, penguins sex lives affectedpersonal carbon rationingpest outbreakspests increasepets in dangerphenology shifts,  pines declinepirate population decreasepirates run rampantplankton blooms,   plankton plummetingplankton wiped outplants lose proteinplants march northplants move uphill polar bears aggressivepolar bears cannibalisticpolar bears deaf,  polar bears drowning,  polar bears fewer cubs,  polar tours scrapped,  pollination halvedporpoise astrayprofits collapsepsychiatric illness psychological effects,  puffin declinepushes poor women into prostitutionrabid bats,  radars taken out, rail network threatened,  railroad tracks deformedrainfall increaserainforest destruction,  rape waverefugees,  reindeer endangeredreindeer largerrelease of ancient frozen virusesresorts disappearrespiratory diseases worsen,  rice less fragrantrice production fallrice threatened, rice yields crash,  rift on Capitol Hillrioting and nuclear war,   river flow impactedriver reroutedrivers raisedroad accidentsroads wear outrobins rampant,   rocky peaks crack apartroof of the world a desert, rooftop barsRoss river disease,    Russia under pressuresalinity reductionsalinity increase,  Salmonella,  salmon stronger, sardine run unpredictablesatellites accelerateSchmallenberg virus,  school closuressea level risesea level rise fastersea snotseals mating moreseismic activitysewer bills risesevere thunderstormssex changesexual dysfunction sexual promiscuityshark attackssharks boomingsharks hybridisesharks moving northsheep change coloursheep shrinkshop closuresshort-nosed dogs endangered,  shrimp sex problemsshrinking pondsshrinking sheep shrinking shrineSidney Opera House wiped outski resorts threatenedslaveryskinks impactedslow death smaller brains,  smogsnowfall decrease, snowfall increasesnowfall heavy snow thicker,  soaring food pricessocietal collapsesoil changesoil subsidencesongbirds change eating habitssour grapessoybean crop to dropspace junk increasespace problemspectacular orchidsspider danger in UKspider bites to increasespiders getting biggerspiders invade Scotland,  squid aggressive giantssquid largersquid population explosionsquid tamedsquirrels reproduce earlierstarfish sperm eaten by parasitesstingray invasionstorm damage costs risestorms wetter,  stratospheric coolingstreet crime to increasesubsidencesuicidesunset displaced,  swordfish in the BalticTabasco tragedytaxestea flavour changetectonic plate movementteenage prostitution,   terrorists (India)thatched cottages at riskthreat to peaceticks move northward (Sweden)tides risetigers eat peopletigers drowntomatoes rottornado outbreaktourism increase, toxic bacteriatoxic seaweed,  trade barriers, trade winds weakenedtraffic jams,  transport snarltransportation threatenedtree foliage increase (UK),   tree growth slowedtree growth fastertrees grow too fasttrees in troubletrees less colourful,  trees more colourfultrees lushtrees on Antarcticatreelines changetropics expansiontropopause raisedtruffle shortagetruffles down truffles increaseturtles crashturtle feminisedturtles lay earlierUFO sightingsUK coastal impactUK Katrina,  vampire bats,  Venice flooded,  volcanic eruptionsvolcanoes awakened in Iceland,  walnuts threatenedwalrus pups orphaned,  walrus stampede,  walruses come ashorewars over waterwars sparkedwars threaten billionswaspswater bills double,  water shortage to increase vegetarianismwave of natural disasters, waves biggerweather out of its mindweather patterns awryweather patterns last longerWestern aid cancelled out,  West Nile feverwhale beachingswhales lose weightwhales move north,  whales wiped outwheat rust in Syria, wheat yields crushed in Australia,  wild boars thrivewildfireswind shiftwind reduced, winds strongerwinds weaker,  wine – Australian baked, , wine industry damage (California) wine industry disaster (US) wine – more Englishwine – no more French wine –  England too hotwine -German boon,  wine passé (Napa)wine – Scotland best,  wine strongerwinters in Britain colderwinter in Britain deadwitchcraft executionswolverine declinewolverines vanishwolves eat more moosewolves eat less, women cheat on vacationworkers laid offWorld at warWorld War 4,  Yellow feverzebra mussel threatzoonotic diseases.

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