For the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated news headlines, but there is a second health crisis happening in America. Our team of analysts found that drug overdose deaths have risen 50% since 2019 and are now over 100,000 a year.
Key findings:
- Nationwide, 103,664 people died of an overdose in 2021, compared to 68,757 in 2019 and 99,973 in 2020.
- Alaska, New Hampshire and Idaho have had the highest increases in overdose-related deaths since 2020.
- West Virginia, Louisiana and Tennessee have the highest rates of overdose deaths.
- Combined, opioids account for nearly 70% of overdose deaths.
The number of overdose-related deaths has been rising steadily since 2015. However, deaths increased greatly almost as soon as the coronavirus pandemic began. We found that overdose-related deaths increased from 68,000 in 2019 to 103,000 in the last year.
The increase in overdose-related deaths has impacted each state differently. Alaska, New Hampshire and Idaho have seen the highest increases in overdose deaths, but in all, 10 states have seen overdose deaths rise by nearly 20% or more. Virginia and West Virginia are two of the nine states that have seen a decrease in deaths over the last year.
| State | Overdose deaths in the last year | % change in overdose deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 256 | 44% |
| New Hampshire | 467 | 26% |
| Idaho | 360 | 24% |
| South Dakota | 95 | 22% |
| Vermont | 253 | 21% |
| Kansas | 670 | 20% |
| Maine | 633 | 20% |
| Montana | 195 | 20% |
| Washington | 2,267 | 20% |
| Wyoming | 115 | 19% |
| Georgia | 2,437 | 17% |
| Oklahoma | 917 | 16% |
| Arkansas | 629 | 16% |
| New Mexico | 1,042 | 16% |
| Alabama | 1,299 | 16% |
| Colorado | 1,909 | 15% |
| Iowa | 489 | 15% |
| South Carolina | 2,185 | 15% |
| Louisiana | 2,535 | 14% |
| Minnesota | 1,332 | 12% |
| Oregon | 1,045 | 12% |
| Indiana | 2,765 | 11% |
| Rhode Island | 455 | 11% |
| Illinois | 3,883 | 10% |
| Wisconsin | 1,754 | 10% |
| North Dakota | 132 | 8% |
| Connecticut | 1,533 | 8% |
| Delaware | 496 | 8% |
| North Carolina | 3,702 | 7% |
| Missouri | 2,151 | 7% |
| Tennessee | 3,771 | 7% |
| Massachusetts | 2,551 | 6% |
| Texas | 4,833 | 5% |
| New Jersey | 2,973 | 3% |
| Nevada | 1,016 | 3% |
| Mississippi | 676 | 3% |
| Hawaii | 271 | 2% |
| Florida | 7,995 | 2% |
| California | 10,458 | 1% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,319 | 0% |
| New York | 2,995 | 0% |
| Kentucky | 2,307 | -1% |
| Arizona | 2,682 | -2% |
| Michigan | 2,875 | -3% |
| Nebraska | 205 | -3% |
| Utah | 642 | -4% |
| Ohio | 5,185 | -7% |
| Maryland | 2,610 | -9% |
| West Virginia | 1,327 | -15% |
| Virginia | 1,719 | -31% |
| United States | 103,664 | 4% |
Opioids are the leading cause of overdose deaths. Since 2015, opioids have accounted for nearly 80,000 deaths, 34% of all drug overdoses. If we factor in synthetic, natural and semi-synthetic opioids, then the number of opioid-related deaths since 2015 rises to 160,000 — 70% of all overdose deaths.
The dramatic rise in opioid-related overdose deaths hasn’t gone unnoticed. President Joe Biden recently unveiled a five-part plan to address the growing number of overdose deaths. One key component of the plan is a $125 billion expansion of prevention, treatment and recovery services. Health care coverage varies by state, but most health insurance plans cover substance abuse treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please consult the resource below.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- 1-800-662-4357 (HELP)
- SAMHSA Hotline Website
Methodology
Overdose death statistics were compiled using data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data was then broken down on a state-by-state and year-over-year basis.
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