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).
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.