Over 105,000 people in the United States died last year due to drug overdoses, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a nearly 50% increase over pre-pandemic levels.
Overdose deaths have risen remarkably since December 2019, when 71,130 overdose deaths were reported nationally. A total of 105,452 overdose deaths were reported in the U.S. from December 2021 to December 2022, which is approximately 3,000 fewer deaths than the previous year but still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
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Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, were the leading contributor to overdose deaths nationwide, totaling 72,027. Stimulant drugs and cocaine accounted for over 33,000 and nearly 27,000 overdose deaths, respectively. The report does not specify what percentage of synthetic opioid-related deaths are directly attributable to fentanyl.
The CDC reported 7,768 overdose deaths in Florida, with synthetic opioids accounting for 91% of the fatalities. Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio each reported over 5,000 cases.
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California had the highest number of overdose deaths at 10,854, nearly 60% of which were reportedly caused by synthetic opioids. In 2017, the CDC estimated that there were 4,868 overdose deaths in California.
The CDC reported in December 2022 that drug overdoses accounted for over one-third of accidental deaths in the U.S. Overdoses were also a leading cause of the 5.3% mortality rate increase in 2021.
