Death from Drug Overdose in the United States Drops 4.1%

New data from the CDC reveals overall drug overdose death rates decreased by 4.1% from 2017 to 2018.

Death rates involving heroin decreased by 4%, and prescription opioid-involved overdose death rates decreased by 13.5%.

Death rates involving synthetic opioids, however, increased by 10% from 2017 to 2018. “Synthetic opioids were involved in 31,335 overdose deaths,… nearly half of all drug overdose deaths in 2018.” The CDC claims this spike was most likely driven by an increased presence of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, with the data indicating people may be shifting “from a heroin-based market to a fentanyl-based market”.