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16 hours ago

The cocaine comeback, explained

Cocaine and meth overdoses have been on the rise in the United States. | Paige Vickers/Vox; Getty Images We’ve been bringing the 1980s back — including, unfortunately, the cocaine. While opioid overdose deaths are mercifully on the decline, more Americans are now using and dying from stimulants, particularly cocaine and methamphetamine. A decade ago, in 2016, there were 10,375 deaths from cocaine overdoses; in 2023, there were 29,449. Meth has seen a similar spike in fatalities, from 9,438 deaths in 2017 to 33,283 in 2023. The drug of choice varies depending on where in the US you a...