Overdose deaths involving heroin has trended down since 2016 with 13,165 deaths reported in 2020 (Figure 5).

From 2019 to 2020, the number of deaths involving prescription opioids rose, after remaining steady for two years, to 16,416 (Figure 4). More than 70% of deaths occurred among males (Figure 3).

Drug overdose deaths involving any opioid―prescription opioids (including natural and semi-synthetic opioids and methadone), other synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl), and heroin―continued to rise through 2020 with 68,630 deaths.

Synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) were the main driver of drug overdose deaths with a 6-fold increase from 2015 to 2020 (Figure 2). in 2020 (Figure 1) 69% of cases occurred among males (yellow line). There were 91,799 drug-involved overdose deaths reported in the U.S. The bars are overlaid by lines representing gender or concurrent opioid involvement. overdose deaths involving select prescription and illicit drugs from 1999 through 2020.

The figures above are bar charts showing the number of U.S.

Download the data used to create these figures - Overdose_data_1999-2020-5.16.22.xlsx.

Download graphs in Powerpoint - National Drug Involved Overdose Deaths 1999-2020.pptx.

The bars are overlaid by lines showing the number of deaths involving antidepressants in combination with synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) or without any opioid involvement (Source: CDC WONDER). Since then, deaths have remained steady with 5,597 in 2020.

Drug overdose deaths involving antidepressants has risen steadily from 1,749 in 1999 to 5,269 in 2017. overdose deaths involving antidepressants from 1999 to 2020. The figure above is a bar and line graph showing the total number of U.S. National Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Antidepressants, by Opioid Involvement– Number Among All Ages, 1999-2020.

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