According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has reached over 100,000 drug overdose deaths, and experts are attributing the record amount and increase in fatalities to increased ease of accessibility to illicit drugs.

A 28.5% increase in fatalities has experts turning to social media in a quest for answers, with Kathleen Miles of the Center on Illicit Networks and Transnational Organized Crime saying that the drug trade on social media is thriving.

"I think social media can be great, but it also has a really dark side of it," she said.

Social media applications make communication with drug dealers easier, and companies like Snapchat and TikTok have begun to make statements and tried to take action regarding the issue.

In a statement on its safety website, TikTok says it removes nearly 96% of videos with illegal activities and regulated goods within 24 hours.

"We work to ensure TikTok does not enable criminal activities or the promotion or trade of drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and other controlled substances or regulated goods," the video-focused social network said.

Snapchat stated it will take immediate action in an effort to remove drug sales from its service.

“We work with law enforcement and partner with parent groups, safety organizations, and experts who inform all of these practices, and we constantly evaluate where we can keep strengthening our work to combat this illegal activity," the messaging app said in a statement.

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