Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999\u20132017

Key findingsData from the National Vital Statistics System, Mortality\u2022 In 2017, there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in the United States.\u2022 The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in 2017 (21.7 per 100,000) was 9.6% higher than the rate in 2016 (19.8).\u2022 Adults aged 25\u201334, 35\u201344, and 45\u201354 had higher rates of drug overdose deaths in 2017 than those aged 15\u201324, 55\u201364, and 65 and over.\u2022 West Virginia (57.8 per 100,000), Ohio (46.3), Pennsylvania (44.3), and the District of Columbia (44.0) had the highest age-adjusted drug overdose death rates in 2017.\u2022 The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (drugs such as fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol) increased by 45% between 2016 and 2017, from 6.2 to 9.0 per 100,000.Deaths from drug overdose continue to be a public health burden in the United States (1\u20135). This report uses the most recent final mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to update trends in drug overdose deaths, describe demographic and geographic patterns, and identify shifts in the types of drugs involved.Suggested citation: Hedegaard H, Minin\u303o AM, Warner M.Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999\u20132017. NCHS Data Brief, no 329. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018.CS298756201