U.S. overdose deaths reached a record 107,000 last year, CDC says
2 years, 8 months ago

U.S. overdose deaths reached a record 107,000 last year, CDC says

LA Times  

Deb Walker visits the grave of her daughter, Brooke Goodwin, in December in Chester, Vt. Goodwin, 23, died in March 2021 of a fatal overdose of fentanyl and xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that is making its way into the illicit drug supply. More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday. The provisional 2021 total translates to roughly one U.S. overdose death every five minutes. Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called the latest numbers “truly staggering.” U.S. overdose deaths have risen most years for more than two decades. The increase began in the 1990s with overdoses involving opioid painkillers, followed by waves of deaths led by other opioids including heroin and — most recently — illicit fentanyl.

Death Deaths Drug Fentanyl Overdose Overdose Deaths  fentanyl  23  overdoses  reached  death  overdose  drug  deaths  increase  involving  drugs  cdc  record  107000

History of this topic

Drug overdose deaths plummet in San Francisco. What’s changed?
1 week, 3 days ago

Drug overdose deaths plummet in San Francisco. What’s changed?

LA Times  

After surging during the COVID pandemic into a crushing public health emergency, drug overdose deaths in San Francisco plummeted in 2024, according to preliminary data compiled by city health officials. San Francisco public health experts attributed the decline in fatal drug use in the city to the widespread availability of naloxone, a medication commonly sold under the brand name Narcan …

How a fentanyl epidemic, killing 200 Americans a day, has gripped US
1 month, 2 weeks ago

How a fentanyl epidemic, killing 200 Americans a day, has gripped US

India Today  

The United States is in the grip of a fentanyl epidemic. WHAT'S CHINA'S ROLE IN THE FENTANYL CRISIS IN US The US Drug Enforcement Administration has identified China as the "main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States". Fentanyl first appeared in the US in the 1970s under the name "China White", and its use surged in …

'Historic' drop in U.S. overdose deaths accelerates as fentanyl crisis eases
1 month, 4 weeks ago

'Historic' drop in U.S. overdose deaths accelerates as fentanyl crisis eases

NPR  

'Historic' drop in U.S. overdose deaths accelerates as fentanyl crisis eases toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America Street drug deaths in the U.S. are dropping at the fastest rate ever seen, according to a new report issued on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health officials say the drop translates into more than 16,000 lives …

US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline
1 month, 4 weeks ago

US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths appears to have continued this year, giving experts hope the nation is seeing sustained improvement in the persistent epidemic. There were about 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday. “This is a pretty stunning …

Cocaine deaths rise by 30% as drug fatalities soar to record levels
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Cocaine deaths rise by 30% as drug fatalities soar to record levels

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Office for National Statistics statistics also revealed 1,118 …

Drug overdose deaths may be decreasing — but not for everyone
3 months ago

Drug overdose deaths may be decreasing — but not for everyone

Salon  

Late last month, news outlets reported that drug overdose deaths across the country were "falling fast," in a “promising” trend that is “saving thousands of lives — But many people working on the ground in harm reduction spaces say the national trend does not align with what they are seeing as they continue to watch people who use drugs in …

US overdoses have fallen sharply in recent months, a hopeful shift in trends
3 months, 3 weeks ago

US overdoses have fallen sharply in recent months, a hopeful shift in trends

CNN  

CNN — Federal data shows that overdose deaths in the United States are the lowest they’ve been in three years, and a new analysis suggests that some downward trends indicate “unprecedented” progress in the fight against the drug epidemic. “I think also it’s important to note that there are still more people dying from overdose than before the pandemic, and …

Drug overdose deaths continue to climb as advocates slam 'deplorable' government inaction
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Drug overdose deaths continue to climb as advocates slam 'deplorable' government inaction

ABC  

When police knocked on Jen Furby's door one night in May 2022, she secretly hoped it was because her daughter had been arrested — because that meant she was still safe. Sobering statistics Jen is now telling her family's story for the first time, as a new report reveals the annual number of drug overdose deaths in Australia has almost …

Deaths from drug overdoses plateaued in L.A. County in 2023 after years of increases
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Deaths from drug overdoses plateaued in L.A. County in 2023 after years of increases

LA Times  

Sandra Mims, a community health worker with Community Health Project L.A., puts out boxes of naloxone spray during an event at MacArthur Park. Deaths from drug overdoses and poisoning reached a plateau last year in Los Angeles County — the first time in a decade that such fatalities had not continued a year-over-year rise, public health officials said. Across L.A. …

America's addiction crisis in YOUR state - depressing chart reveals which areas are most impacted
6 months, 4 weeks ago

America's addiction crisis in YOUR state - depressing chart reveals which areas are most impacted

Daily Mail  

An enlightening new report has revealed the states that have been hit the hardest by America's drug addiction epidemic. Intriguingly, the region with the second highest number of drug deaths was nation's political hub, Washington DC, with some 70 drug deaths per 100,000 — also said to be the result of potent painkiller prescriptions. Drug overdose deaths are also a …

Report shows a drop in drug overdose deaths in Kentucky but governor says the fight is far from over
7 months ago

Report shows a drop in drug overdose deaths in Kentucky but governor says the fight is far from over

Associated Press  

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Drug overdose deaths in Kentucky fell nearly 10% in 2023, marking a second straight annual decline in the fight against an addiction epidemic that’s far from over, Gov. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell — who has steered huge sums of federal funding to his home state to combat its addiction woes — said the report is a …

Fewer US overdose deaths were reported last year, but experts are still cautious
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Fewer US overdose deaths were reported last year, but experts are still cautious

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The number of U.S. fatal overdoses fell last year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted Wednesday. CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deb Houry called the dip “heartening news” and praised efforts to reduce the tally, but she noted “there are still families and friends losing their loved ones to drug overdoses at staggering …

Drug overdose deaths in the US decreased in 2023, for the first time in five years
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Drug overdose deaths in the US decreased in 2023, for the first time in five years

CNN  

CNN — After a steep rise during the Covid-19 pandemic, preliminary data shows that drug overdose deaths in the United States ticked down in 2023 for the first time in five years. “This progress over the last 12 months should make us want to reinvigorate our efforts knowing that our strategies are making a difference,” CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. …

Deadly overdoses fell in U.S. for first time in five years, new estimates show
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Deadly overdoses fell in U.S. for first time in five years, new estimates show

LA Times  

Deaths from drug overdoses fell last year in the United States as fewer people lost their lives to fentanyl and other opioids, marking the first time the death toll had dropped in five years, according to newly released estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I’m thrilled that there wasn’t an increase, but we’re still talking about 107,000 …

U.S. drug deaths declined slightly in 2023 but remained at crisis levels
7 months, 3 weeks ago

U.S. drug deaths declined slightly in 2023 but remained at crisis levels

NPR  

U.S. drug deaths declined slightly in 2023 but remained at crisis levels Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah/AP U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah/AP Updated Wednesday May 15 at 1:25 p.m. In a statement released last week as part of the U.S. National Drug Threat Assessment for 2024, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Anne Milgram, …

At least 9 dead, dozens treated in Texas capital after spike in opioid overdoses
8 months, 1 week ago

At least 9 dead, dozens treated in Texas capital after spike in opioid overdoses

Hindustan Times  

Authorities in Texas are investigating at least nine deaths this week in connection with an unusual spike of opioid overdoses in Austin that health officials are calling the city's worst overdose outbreak in nearly a decade. Preliminary testing showed that all nine people who died had traces of fentanyl in their system and the majority had other drugs present too …

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds
10 months, 3 weeks ago

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Smoking has surpassed injecting as the most common way of taking drugs in U.S. overdose deaths, a new government study suggests. Some early research has suggested that smoking fentanyl is somewhat less deadly than injecting it, and any reduction in injection-related overdose deaths is a positive, said the study’s lead author, Lauren Tanz. But “both injection and …

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds
10 months, 3 weeks ago

More people die after smoking drugs than injecting them, US study finds

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Smoking has surpassed injecting as …

Smoking drugs now linked to more overdose deaths than injecting drugs, report finds
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Smoking drugs now linked to more overdose deaths than injecting drugs, report finds

CNN  

CNN — The percentage of overdose deaths linked to smoking drugs rose sharply in recent years, overtaking injection as the leading route of drug use involved in such deaths, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, published Thursday, looked at information from crime scene investigations, witness reports and autopsy data and …

US announces sweeping action against Chinese fentanyl supply chain producers
1 year, 3 months ago

US announces sweeping action against Chinese fentanyl supply chain producers

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration took aim Tuesday at the fentanyl trafficking threat, announcing a series of indictments and sanctions against Chinese companies and executives blamed for importing the chemicals used to make the deadly drug. “And we know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China.” Besides …

Report on overdoses shows opioids remain a leading factor in accidental drug deaths in Australia
1 year, 4 months ago

Report on overdoses shows opioids remain a leading factor in accidental drug deaths in Australia

ABC  

In short: The Annual Overdose Report shows 1,675 Australians died from unintentional drug overdoses in 2021 The Annual Overdose Report shows 1,675 Australians died from unintentional drug overdoses in 2021 What's next? The public health organisation that produced the report, the Penington Institute, says drug-induced deaths are a crisis requiring greater action from government Accidental fatal overdoses in Australia continue …

Drug overdoses in the US slightly increased last year. But experts see hopeful signs
1 year, 7 months ago

Drug overdoses in the US slightly increased last year. But experts see hopeful signs

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. went up slightly last year after two big leaps during the pandemic. We shouldn’t suggest the crisis is in any way over.” An estimated 109,680 overdose deaths occurred last year, according to numbers posted Wednesday by the CDC. Plus, the stigma that kept drug users from seeking help — and some …

Total overdose: Drug-related deaths in San Francisco up by 41% in three months
1 year, 8 months ago

Total overdose: Drug-related deaths in San Francisco up by 41% in three months

Firstpost  

200 persons died of overdoses in the city in the last three months, up from 142 in the same period last year Drug-related deaths in San Francisco have increased by 41 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, with one person dying of an accidental overdose every 10 hours, reported The Guardian. According to the reports by San Francisco’s …

Beshear: Drug overdose deaths fell in Kentucky in 2022
1 year, 8 months ago

Beshear: Drug overdose deaths fell in Kentucky in 2022

Associated Press  

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Drug overdose deaths in Kentucky fell by 5% in 2022, offering a sign of hope that treatment efforts are relieving an addiction epidemic that remains a public health crisis, Gov. Addiction spares no one.” Much more work remains to overcome what remains a public health crisis, but the decline in overdose deaths offers some good news in …

FDA advisers vote in favor of making opioid overdose antidote available over the counter
1 year, 10 months ago

FDA advisers vote in favor of making opioid overdose antidote available over the counter

CNN  

CNN — If the US Food and Drug Administration gives the go-ahead, a nasal spray version of the opioid overdose antidote Narcan may soon be sold in vending machines, big box stores, grocery stores and gas stations across the country. “I’ve lost patients over the years and have watched as many families have been devastated by this rising, worsening and …

Maine sets another record for overdose deaths, report says
1 year, 11 months ago

Maine sets another record for overdose deaths, report says

Associated Press  

AUGUSTA, Maine — More than 700 people died from drug overdoses last year in Maine, setting the third straight record, officials said. A report by the attorney general’s office Thursday notes there were 716 suspected or confirmed drug overdose deaths in 2022, compared to 636 deaths the year before and 504 deaths in 2020. In her budget proposal, Mills proposed …

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary
2 years, 1 month ago

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Have U.S. drug overdose deaths stopped rising? U.S. overdose death rates began steadily climbing in the 1990s driven by opioid painkillers, followed by waves of deaths led by other opioids like heroin and — most recently — illicit fentanyl. “Today’s data continue to show a hopeful trend of a decrease in overdose deaths,” but more prevention and …

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary
2 years, 1 month ago

US overdose deaths may be peaking, but experts are wary

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. U.S. overdose death rates began steadily climbing in the …

Alcohol death toll is growing, US government reports say
2 years, 2 months ago

Alcohol death toll is growing, US government reports say

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The rate of deaths that can be directly attributed to alcohol rose nearly 30% in the U.S. during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new government data. The second report, published earlier this week in JAMA Network Open, looked at a wider range of deaths that could be linked to drinking, such as motor …

America's drug crisis laid bare: CDC maps shows fatal overdoses have risen in all but EIGHT states
2 years, 2 months ago

America's drug crisis laid bare: CDC maps shows fatal overdoses have risen in all but EIGHT states

Daily Mail  

Fatal drug overdoses have risen in all but eight US states in the past year, according to official data that lays bare America's drug crisis. Alaska has seen by far the biggest percentage increase in drug overdose deaths between April 2021 and April 2022, rising by 44 per cent. The total count looks like it is coming down, but the …

Opioid crisis costs US $1.5TRILLION in 2020 as fentanyl use rocketed during the pandemic
2 years, 3 months ago

Opioid crisis costs US $1.5TRILLION in 2020 as fentanyl use rocketed during the pandemic

Daily Mail  

The devastating opioid epidemic in the US has cost the government nearly $1.5trillion in 2020 alone after being exacerbated by the Covid pandemic and rise of fentanyl, new figures show. In Wisconsin, for instance, synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, were identified in 91 per cent of opioid overdose deaths and 73 per cent of all drug overdose deaths over the last …

Fentanyl is the most dangerous drug in America – but panic over it isn’t helping
2 years, 5 months ago

Fentanyl is the most dangerous drug in America – but panic over it isn’t helping

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Middle-class drug users fuel soaring number of cocaine deaths
2 years, 5 months ago

Middle-class drug users fuel soaring number of cocaine deaths

The Telegraph  

Cocaine deaths have risen sevenfold in a decade, with middle-class drug users fuelling the crisis, new statistics have suggested. However, the ONS also found that there were 840 deaths involving cocaine registered in 2021, which was 8.1 per cent higher than the previous year and more than seven times higher than in 2011. It has become more normalised.” Drug support …

Death rates from drug overdoses hit historic highs in 2020
2 years, 5 months ago

Death rates from drug overdoses hit historic highs in 2020

Daily Mail  

Drug overdose deaths among black and indigenous Americans spiked in 2020 — with a total of 2,400 more being recorded during the first year of Covid compared to the previous 12 months. The report confirms previously published papers, which also showed a spike in drug overdose deaths among Black Americans during the first year of the pandemic. Drug overdose deaths …

Relaxed methadone rules appear safe, researchers find
2 years, 5 months ago

Relaxed methadone rules appear safe, researchers find

Associated Press  

As the coronavirus pandemic shut down the nation in March of 2020, the U.S. government told methadone clinics they could allow stable patients with opioid addiction to take their medicine at home unsupervised. The share of overdose deaths involving methadone declined from 4.5% in January 2019 to 3.2% in August 2021, the study found. Dr. Neeraj Gandotra, chief medical officer …

Lessons from America’s mass popping of opioids
2 years, 6 months ago

Lessons from America’s mass popping of opioids

Live Mint  

The deadliest drug epidemic in US history did not involve peddlers, gangsters or smugglers, but painkillers. Between 2006 and 2014, a single county in West Virginia was supplied with over 127 million prescription opioid pills—142 pills a year for every person—that fed an opioid-addiction crisis that is still playing out. On Monday, a federal judge dismissed charges against America’s three …

Colorado’s drop in life expectancy blamed on COVID, drugs
2 years, 6 months ago

Colorado’s drop in life expectancy blamed on COVID, drugs

Associated Press  

DENVER — Life expectancy dropped in Colorado for the second straight year in 2021. Both communities entered the pandemic with “longstanding pre-existing health disparities that made them especially vulnerable to more severe COVID illness and death,” said Michelle Sarche, a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health and Department of Community …

California advances bid to create legal drug injection sites
2 years, 6 months ago

California advances bid to create legal drug injection sites

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Assembly on Thursday approved a controversial bill allowing Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco to set up places where opioid users could legally inject drugs in supervised settings. New York City in December opened the first two publicly recognized overdose prevention sites in the United States, intervening in more than 150 overdoses, although its operation …

Kentucky shatters its fatal overdose record; fentanyl blamed
2 years, 6 months ago

Kentucky shatters its fatal overdose record; fentanyl blamed

Associated Press  

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Fatal drug overdoses rose nearly 15% in Kentucky last year, surpassing 2,000 deaths as the increased use of fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opioid — resulted in a record death toll in the state, according to a report released Monday. It was the first time the Bluegrass State surpassed 2,000 drug overdose deaths in a single year, …

Report: Drug overdose deaths up again in Virginia in 2021
2 years, 7 months ago

Report: Drug overdose deaths up again in Virginia in 2021

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — The number of Virginia drug overdose deaths rose again in 2021, setting a record for a second year in a row, according to a state report. Overdose deaths increased 15% in 2021 from the previous year, to 2,656, The Virginian-Pilot reported Saturday, citing the report from the Virginia Department of Health. The powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl was …

Record 108,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2021, CDC reports
2 years, 7 months ago

Record 108,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2021, CDC reports

Daily Mail  

Deaths from drug overdoses in the U.S. hit their highest level since records began last year, provisional figures showed Wednesday — with opioids including fentanyl behind nearly three in five fatalities. It reveals figures have now reached a record high, and are surging on the last three years ‹ Slide me › The above map shows the rate of drug …

US overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
2 years, 7 months ago

US overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday. Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called the latest numbers “truly staggering.” The White House issued a statement calling the accelerating pace of …

Overdose deaths in US hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
2 years, 8 months ago

Overdose deaths in US hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says

Al Jazeera  

With opioid epidemic still rising, tragic milestone translates into one death from drug abuse every five minutes in US. More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated on Wednesday. The White House issued a statement calling the accelerating pace …

COVID-19, overdoses pushed US to highest death total ever
2 years, 8 months ago

COVID-19, overdoses pushed US to highest death total ever

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — 2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, and new data and research are offering more insights into how it got that bad. Joseph Friedman, a UCLA researcher who was the paper’s lead author, called the spike “unprecedented.” Those teen overdose deaths were only around 1% of the U.S. total. Those national death trends affect life expectancy …

Deadly overdoses have spiked among teens, even as drug use dropped, UCLA researchers find
2 years, 8 months ago

Deadly overdoses have spiked among teens, even as drug use dropped, UCLA researchers find

LA Times  

Deadly drug overdoses among U.S. teenagers have more than doubled in frequency in recent years, even as those in the age group became less likely to use illegal drugs, researchers from UCLA and elsewhere found in a newly published analysis. Many teens mistakenly believe that pills are a safer way to experiment with drugs, not realizing that they could be …

New data show US drug epidemic is deadlier than ever, but preventing overdoses is an uphill battle
2 years, 10 months ago

New data show US drug epidemic is deadlier than ever, but preventing overdoses is an uphill battle

CNN  

CNN — Drug overdose deaths have doubled over the past six years, soaring in recent months amid the Covid-19 pandemic and continued rise of fentanyl. And it’s not like they turn off overnight,” said Katherine Keyes, an associate professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health whose research focuses on psychiatric and substance use epidemiology. Programs like syringe …

Suicides By Drug Overdose Have Increased Among Young Americans
2 years, 11 months ago

Suicides By Drug Overdose Have Increased Among Young Americans

Huff Post  

Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images A new study found that while overdose suicide deaths are decreasing overall, there are a few populations in which those deaths are increasing. Bucking the overall downward trend, intentional overdose deaths increased among teens and young adults ages 15 to 24. While there’s no concrete data yet on how the pandemic has affected these numbers, …

US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say
3 years, 1 month ago

US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year, a never-before-seen milestone that health officials say is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply. “It’s a magnitude of overdose death that we haven’t seen in this country.” Drug overdoses now surpass deaths from car crashes, guns and even flu and pneumonia. …

How drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in one year
3 years, 1 month ago

How drug overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in one year

LA Times  

A law enforcement officer stands in front of an enlarged photograph showing bags of counterfeit fentanyl pills during a news conference in May. The Times spoke to Sam Quinones, who chronicled the drug trade in the 2015 book “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic,” and most recently explored the evolution of the epidemic in his new book “The …

Discover Related