On Thursday, former Fox News host Eric Bolling revealed that the death of his 19-year-old son Eric Chase was caused by an accidental overdose involving opioids.
Eric Chase was found dead in his Colorado apartment in early September.
“Just received some tragic news from Coroner in Colorado. Eric Chase’s passing has been ruled an accidental overdose that included opioids,” announced Bolling on Twitter Thursday.
The former Five host thanked well-wishers for their “continued prayers and support” on behalf of himself and his wife Adrienne.
“We must fight against this national epidemic, too many innocent victims,” added Bolling.
Mere hours before Bolling’s update on his son’s tragic death, President Donald Trump officially declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency.
As reported by Daily Wire’s Paul Bois on Thursday, “the number of deaths from drug overdoses has jumped more than 200% in the last 16 years across all demographics,” with opioids playing a key role.
“We’re seeing a huge spike in the availability and a reduction in cost of heroin and fentanyl. With addictive substances, if you increase availability and reduce cost, more people use them. It’s kind of a law of nature,” explained Center for Disease Control (CDC) director Tom Frieden in July.
As noted by The Hill, “CDC researchers said opioid use, which has skyrocketed since the turn of the century, is to blame for much of the increase. Opioid prescription rates have leveled off since 2012 as state and federal regulators crack down on so-called pill mills that overprescribe the drugs, a strategy that may help slow the overdose epidemic.”
In rural areas across the United States, the number of overdose “deaths has jumped 325 percent over the last 16 years.”