U.S. overdose deaths hit new record in 2021

Drug test samples
(Image credit: Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

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.

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Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US

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.