U.S. drug overdose deaths reached an all-time high of 107,941 in 2022, but the rate of increase has slowed significantly, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the total marks only a slight increase from 106,699 deaths in 2021, the data reveal widening racial disparities in overdose fatalities. Overdose rates among white Americans decreased slightly from 2021 to 2022. However, rates jumped among Black Americans during the same period.
American Indian and Alaska Native populations experienced the largest increase at 15%, accelerating an existing trend in tribal communities nationwide.
The synthetic opioid fentanyl remained the primary driver of overdose deaths. Since emerging in the mid-2010s, fentanyl has increasingly dominated the U.S. illicit drug market. As fentanyl deaths skyrocketed, the share of deaths involving other opioids like heroin, methadone, and prescription painkillers has decreased.
Fatal overdoses involving stimulants also rose, with cocaine-related deaths up 12.3% and methamphetamine-related deaths up 4%.
Age-related trends shifted as well. Overdose rates decreased slightly for Americans aged 15-34 but increased for all age groups 35 and older. Even adults 65 and over, who have the lowest overdose rates overall, saw a 10% increase.
While the plateauing of total overdose deaths offers a glimmer of hope after years of steady increases, the racial disparities and rise in stimulant-related deaths remain serious concerns in the ongoing U.S. drug crisis.
See “Overdose deaths hit another record but show signs of leveling off” (March 21, 2024)
