Deadly fentanyl surge in U.S.

Drug overdoses took the lives of more than 107,500 Americans in the 12 months to June 2022, with the synthetic opioid fentanyl playing a role in almost nine in 10 of these deaths


Deaths from synthetic opioids (mostly fentanyl, % of total) 
Other overdose deaths (12 months to June)

2016-17	43,834 	24,911	68,745	36.2%
2017-18	38,295	29,961	68,256 	43.9%
2018-19	34,918	32,392	67,310 	48.1%
2019-20	34,774	46,966	81,740 	57.5%
2020-21	36,384	71,238 	66.2%	107,622
2021-22	12,910 	94,672 	88.0%	107,582
 
Mar 2020
Covid lockdown
      

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
Picture: Getty Images 
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