"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Survey: Fentanyl and other opioids considered the best threat to public health

August 17, 2023 – Americans are increasingly concerned about drug use within the United States – particularly fentanyl and other opioids, in keeping with a latest poll.

Only 2% of respondents told the survey company that Ipsos They imagine COVID-19 is the best threat to public health within the United States. The biggest threat on the list was fentanyl and other opioids, cited by greater than 1 / 4 of respondents in three different surveys since February.

Obesity is second on the list of health problems. The threat posed by people's access to guns has now slipped to 3rd place, with 20 percent of respondents citing this concern. In May, 26 percent still said guns were a threat to public health. Cancer is in fourth place, with 11 percent of respondents citing this disease.

The survey included a nationally representative sample of 1,162 U.S. adults contacted between August 11 and 14.

Compared with opinions surveyed in May, fewer people now imagine the pandemic is over. About half of respondents said last week that they believed COVID was over, compared with 62% who thought it was a thing of the past in May.

The survey found that 46% of respondents said they were concerned in regards to the recent increase in COVID cases. However, almost nobody had recently taken a COVID test, most weren’t wearing a mask, and seven in 10 people didn’t see a serious risk to their health in the event that they were to contract the virus.

“Concerns about rising COVID cases are mixed, but what is clearer is that there really is no change in behavior,” said Mallory Newall, vice chairman of Ipsos. Axioswhich sponsored the survey. “In addition, the perceived risk of contracting COVID remains low – comparable to a tick or mosquito bite.”