A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that drug overdose deaths have increased fivefold over the past two decades. Adults between 35 and 44 years of age had the highest mortality rate from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
The CDC analyzed national overdose death statistics for different demographic groups and drug types (especially opioids and stimulants) between 2020 and 2021. The report used the most recent data from the National Vital Statistics System.
The United States has seen an increase in overdose deaths since the pandemic. There were 106,699 deaths in 2021, up 14% from the previous year.
The largest increase was in adults 65 and over, with a 28% increase between 2020 and 2021. The overdose death rate remains highest for adults aged 35-44 years, with 62 deaths per 100,000 people. This is followed by adults aged 45 to 54, with 54 per 100,000, and adults aged 25 to 34, with 53 per 100,000.
As the use of synthetic opioids increases, so do overdose deaths, though the frequency of heroin-related deaths has actually declined considerably in recent years. Deaths involving synthetic opioids increased 22% between 2020 and 2021, whereas heroin deaths decreased 32% in that same time, as reported by the CDC.
