Blog note. Jesus indicated that ‘fearful sights’ (various natural disasters) would occur leading up to the time known as the Tribulation and Great Tribulation (a combined seven year period of great destruction on earth). Although these types of things have occurred in the past for centuries and thousands of years, they could be identified as the ‘season of the times’ due to the ferociousness of these events. They would be occurring in greater intensity, severity, frequency, size, duration, scope … just like the pains that a women experiences in labor the farther along she is in the labor process. We are in the ‘season of the times’ that comes just before the seven (7) year Tribulation/Great Tribulation period

… And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11).

… And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (Luke 21:25)

… Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken; (Luke 21:26)

… This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2 Timothy 3:1)

Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of grace comes to a close. These verses are several of many such prophecies from throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere, record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on. Most studied Eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having labor pains that occur in greater severity, frequency, size and duration prior to giving birth. End of note.

Drug overdose deaths skyrocketed among women. From 1999 to 2017, the drug overdose death rate among women 30 to 64 years old climbed more than 260%

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN. Updated 3:17 PM ET, Thu January 10, 2019

(CNN)As America continues to combat its opioid epidemic, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses among women has soared in recent years, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

From 1999 to 2017, the drug overdose death rate among women 30 to 64 years old climbed more than 260%, according to the report published Thursday.

In that time, drug overdose deaths involving antidepressants, cocaine, heroin, prescription opioids, synthetic opioids and benzodiazepines such as such as Xanax and Valium all increased, the report said.

“Overdose deaths continue to be unacceptably high, and targeted efforts are needed to reduce the number of deaths in this evolving epidemic among middle-aged women,” the researchers wrote.

The report involved nationwide mortality data on people living in the United States between 1999 and 2017. The data came from the National Vital Statistics System, which is based on information from death certificates.

The researchers took a close look at overdose death rates among women ages 30 to 64 overall and then by drug type: antidepressants, benzodiazepines, cocaine, heroin, prescription opioids and synthetic opioids, excluding methadone.

Among women in that age group, the drug overdose death rate increased from 6.7 deaths per 100,000 people, or 4,314 deaths total, in 1999 to 24.3 per 100,000, or 18,110 deaths total, in 2017.

The rise in deaths also varied by age and drug categories in the data.

From 1999 to 2017, drug overdose death rates increased about 200% among women ages 35 to 39 and 45 to 49; 350% among those 30 to 34 and 50 to 54; and nearly 500% among those 55 to 64, the researchers found.

The drug overdose death rates also increased for all drug categories, with notable surges in rates of deaths involving synthetic opioids, at 1,643%; heroin, at 915%; and benzodiazepines, at 830%, the researchers found. The rate of drug overdose deaths involving any opioid increased 492%.

The report had some limitations, including that some deaths could have involved more than one substance. Also, changes over time in testing or reporting of certain drugs could have influenced the data.

A report published last year by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics found that, overall, the synthetic opioid fentanyl was the most frequently mentioned drug in overdose death data in 2016 that included both men and women.

That report showed that the rate of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased about 113% per year, on average, from 2013 through 2016.

Men may be more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs, but women are just as likely as men to develop a substance use disorder, and women may be more susceptible to craving and relapse — key phases of the addiction cycle, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

So while the size of the rise in drug overdose deaths among women may come as a shock, the fact that women are being affected in America’s drug epidemic should not be as surprising, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, who was not involved in the new CDC report.

As a country, “we’ve been ignoring this for a while,” Benjamin said.

Particularly when it comes to the opioid epidemic, “the stereotype is a man who’s addicted to drugs who’s ODing on the street, and we know that that stereotype is clearly not complete. It’s inaccurate,” he said. “Women’s part of the issue is just being not portrayed and not understood by most people.”

There are some possible ways to reduce the rising number of drug overdose deaths in the opioid epidemic plaguing the United States, but they can be challenging, Benjamin said.

“Part of the solution is for people to become more aware of this and for people who are prescribing medications to do a much better job of — particularly when prescribing for women — talking about the risks and the relative risk of addiction,” he said. “You want to adequately treat people [for pain], but you want to make sure that people don’t think these drugs are safer than they are.”