Overdose deaths increased 16 percent in 2021 compared to 2020
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released figures on Thursday indicating that nearly 107,000 Americans died of overdoses last year. This is an increase of almost 16 percent compared to 2020, reports The Associated Press.
Overdose deaths fall under the category of "accidental deaths" which are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. Accidental deaths were responsible for 3.4 million deaths in 2021, which is 80,000 more than the previous year. The increase in overdose deaths is directly coupled with the opioid epidemic as it continued to be worsened by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.
Fentanyl was responsible for approximately two-thirds of overdose deaths, reports The Washington Post. Just this year, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized more than 379 million doses of fentanyl, enough to kill every person in America, the Post continues. Overdose deaths increased in every demographic over 25 years of age except for Asian men.
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.
The CDC's figures also found that the U.S. life expectancy has once again dropped to 76 years and 5 months. This added to the pattern of decrease that the country has seen over the past two years.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Political cartoons for October 27Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include improving national monuments, the NBA gambling scandal, and the AI energy vampire
-
Donald Trump’s week in Asia: can he shift power away from China?Today's Big Question US president’s whirlwind week of diplomacy aims to bolster economic ties and de-escalate trade war with China
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Peanut allergies have plummeted in childrenUnder the radar Early introduction could be an effective prevention method
-
Climate change is getting under our skinUnder the radar Skin conditions are worsening because of warming temperatures
-
Is this the end of ultraprocessed foods?Today's Big Question California law and the MAHA movement are on the same track
-
Bluetoothing: the phenomenon driving HIV spike in FijiUnder the Radar ‘Blood-swapping’ between drug users fuelling growing health crisis on Pacific island
-
Can TrumpRx really lower drug prices?Today’s Big Question Pfizer’s deal with Trump sent drugmaker stocks higher
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the riseThe Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
-
‘Nightmare bacteria’ are rapidly spreadingUnder the radar The infections are largely resistant to antibiotics
