Covid escalates U.S. overdose deaths 

Stress, isolation and financial hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic led to nearly 84,000 overdose deaths in the year to July 2020 – the highest number of drug fatalities ever recorded in a single year


Overdose deaths (previous 12-month period)

Jan 2015: 47,523

Jan 2016: 52,404 deaths, up 10.3% 
Opioids: 33,091, 62.9% of total

Jul 2016: 58,525 deaths. President Obama signs Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act to fight opioid and heroin epidemic

May 2017: 68,370. President Trump proposes cutting budget of Office of National Drug Control Policy by 95%

Jan 2018: 70,122

Jan 2019: 67,697
Drug deaths in America fall for first time in 25 years

Feb 2020: World Health Organization declares coronavirus is Global Health Emergency

Mar: 74,372 overdose deaths. Trump declares Covid-19 national emergency

Jul 2020: 83,544 deaths. Opioids account for 73% of overdose deaths


						Thousands 80
 							60
President Barack Obama 	President Donald Trump		40
Jan	Jan	Jan	Jan	Jan	Jan
2015	2016	2017 	2018 	2019 	2020
   

Sources: Centers for Disease Control, Bloomberg, Lancet 
Pictures: Getty Images 
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