Surge in U.S. opioid deaths

More than 70,200 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017, a two-fold increase in a decade. Almost 45,500 deaths involved opioids


Drug overdose deaths

1999
16,849

2010
38,329

2017
70,237
Deaths involving opioids: 45,495


1999: Increase in prescription opioid overdose deaths

2010: Rise in deaths involving heroin and synthetic opioids

2013-17: Surge in synthetic opioid overdose deaths


30,000
20,000
10,000
	2000 2005 2010 2015 2017

Fentanyl and synthetic opioids
730	2,213	28,466

Heroin
1,960	2,399	15,482

Prescription opioids
3,442	12,796	17,029

Other*
10,717	18,602	9,260


*including methadone


Sources: National Institute of Drug Abuse, Centers for Disease Control
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