NCHS data on drug-poisoning deaths

Poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Drugs\ue2\u20ac\u201dboth pharmaceutical and illicit\ue2\u20ac\u201dcause the vast majority of poisoning deaths.NCHS uses the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to monitor deaths due to drug poisoning (overdose). NVSS collects mortality information from death certificates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. NCHS identifies the number of drug-poisoning deaths from the underlying cause of death on death certificates. Multiple causes of death are used to identify the drugs involved. In 2015, approximately 17% of death certificates for drug- poisoning deaths lacked information on the specific drugs involved.281193factsheet_drug_poisoning.pd