U.S. overdose deaths hit new record in 2021
Deaths from overdoses increased 15 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to provisional data released on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC reported that approximately 108,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2021. The newly reported uptick comes after 2020 recorded a shocking 30 percent increase in overdose deaths.
"Drug overdoses, which long ago surged above the country's peak deaths from AIDS, car crashes and guns, killed about a quarter as many Americans last year as COVID-19," The New York Times reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A growing proportion of drug deaths involved synthetic opioids and fentanyl, which can be mixed with other drugs and may prove deadly even if the drug user is unaware.
"Previously, prescription drug misuse and heroin use were the primary drivers of overdose deaths," director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora Volkow, told CNN. "However, as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids began to infiltrate the drug market… we started to see how expanding exposure of a profitable, easy-to-make, and incredibly dangerous drug dramatically increased risk and vulnerability to drug overdose deaths."
Some experts believe the COVID-19 pandemic may have also worsened the situation due to social isolation.
The data provided by the CDC may change as the government reviews more death records.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Anahi Valenzuela has worked as an editorial assistant at The Week since 2022, where she assists with magazine content and covers the week's best photos. She started her career as a media producer at The Daily Californian and a writer for College Magazine.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Narcan is becoming harder to find at drugstores across America
Under the Radar The drug, also known as naloxone, reverses the effects of an opioid overdose
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The lows of an unregulated high: Teens are using marijuana alternative delta-8
In the Spotlight More than 1 in 10 high school seniors have reported using the substance, which contains concentrated THC
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Tianeptine: why lawmakers fear a new kind of opioid
The explainer The drug is sold over the counter. And is highly addictive.
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The pros and cons of compounding pharmacies
Pros and cons Customizing medications can be lifesaving and also dangerous
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published