Key findings
Data from the National Vital Statistics System
The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths increased from 8.9 deaths per 100,000 standard population in 2003 to 32.6 in 2022; however, the rate decreased to 31.3 in 2023. Rates decreased between 2022 and 2023 for people ages 15–54 and increased for adults age 55 and older. From 2022 to 2023, rates decreased for White non-Hispanic people, while rates for other race and Hispanic-origin groups generally stayed the same or increased. Between 2022 and 2023, rates declined for deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, heroin, and natural and semisynthetic opioids, while the rate for methadone remained the same. From 2022 to 2023, rates increased for deaths involving cocaine by 4.9% (from 8.2 to 8.6) and psychostimulants with abuse potential by 1.9% (10.4 to 10.6).
Much better graph from the source that illustrates where the cause lies:
"Synthetic opioids other than methadone" is mostly fentanyl. I highly doubt that such huge numbers of people are having lethal overdoses of tramadol and the like. Also shows that numbers from other opioids have remained mostly stable throughout, in comparison. A small but significant bump in heroin, that subsequently decreased. Could be linked to poor detection of fentanyl laced heroin that has improved over the years.
TIL you can die to methadone :o
it isn't very easy to do. mind the specific language "involving methadone". any death deemed an overdose where methadone is one of the substances is counted in that category.
ya it is def illicit fent and close siblings.
not surprised heroin-related deaths have gone down since it's damn near impossible to get pure heroin most places, even for those who prefer it.
My understanding is that there is a lot of bad data collection due to total inconsistency of expertise and resources in medical examiners. But I think we all know from our own lives that the huge upward line is not an illusion of any kind.
I was thinking of this in the context of the war on venezuela being about "drugs" but then didn't have enough time to read or think about it properly. I just keep being so surprised not even any libs are interested to check on that claim at all. (that I have noticed.)