WASHINGTON – The number of deadly drug overdoses in America continues to rise. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 112,000 people died from drugs in the 12-month period ending in May 2023. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were the main culprit, followed by psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine.
As Emily’s Hope reported last month, the U.S. also reached a record high number of drug overdose deaths in the previous period ending in April 2023, with 111,355 fatalities.
Despite the historical number of deaths, some positive news is that the rate of increase appears to be slowing. In the 12-month span ending in May 2023, there were 112,024 overdose fatalities in contrast to 109,261 recorded in the same period ending in May 2022, which is a 2.5% rise. According to the CDC, deadly overdoses skyrocketed 30% between 2019 and 2020 and increased another 15% between 2020 and 2021.
However, some states continue to experience surges in overdose deaths. Washington state experienced the highest increase, with a 37% rise from May 2022 to May 2023.
