Overdose Deaths Nationally in 2023.
Provisional data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate that drug overdose death decreased slightly from 2022 to 2023.
Estimated economic toll annually
In 2020, the Joint Economic Committee estimated that the economic impact of the opioid epidemic reached $1.5 trillion in one year. In years before, the estimate hovered around $1 trillion.
Source: Joint Economic Committee
U.S. children lost a parent to drug overdose
From 2011 to 2021, a study published in, JAMA Psychiatry shows the profound impact of the opioid epidemic on children.
Source: SAMHSA
%
of drug overdose deaths had at least one potential opportunity for intervention.
In 2022, an estimated 43.2% of people who died by overdose had a bystander present. Others were recently released from an institution, had a mental health diagnosis, or were in treatment for use.
The Disorder is Treatable
Most people in the United States have been touched by the opioid epidemic, which has taken hundreds of thousands of lives since the 1990s. In 2021 alone, there were 106,699 reported overdose deaths in the U.S., and 75% of those deaths were caused by opioids (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2022). These numbers are more than just statistics; each individual who died by overdose leaves behind families, friends, and communities in devastation.
The good news is that opioid use disorder is treatable, and there are steps you can take to protect your community. Substance use disorders are a medical issue, just like cancer or diabetes. Individuals with opioid use disorder need medical attention, compassion, and community support to recover.
What Are Opioids?
Illicit Drugs
- Heroin
- Fentanyl
Prescription Drugs
- Morphine
- Codeine
- Methadone
- Oxycodone
- Hydrocodone
- Fentanyl
- Hydromorphone
- Buprenorphine
Percent Change in Predicted 12 Month-ending Count of Drug Overdose Deaths by Jurisdiction
April 2023 to April 2024
Legend for Percent Change in Drug Overdose Deaths Between 12-Month Ending Periods -29.8% to 41.8%
Predicted provisional counts represent estimates of the number of deaths adjusted for incomplete reporting (see Technical Notes). Deaths are classified by the reporting jurisdiction in which the death occurred. Percent change refers to the relative difference between the reported or predicted provisional numbers of deaths due to drug overdose occurring in the 12-month period ending in the month indicated compared with the 12-month period ending in the same month of the previous year.
Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
State Opioid Dispensing Rates
Opioid Dispensing Rate (per 100 persons)
<36.1 36.1 – 42.7 42.8 – 52.8 >52.8
Historically, opioid prescribing rates in the U.S. have been high, which seems to lead to opioid use disorders. Between 1999 to 2010, opioid prescribing rates quadrupled and were prescribed at higher dosages for longer time spans (CDC, 2022). As a result, opioid use disorder increased as well. Since then, many states have enacted strategies to address these rates. However, Arkansas has the second highest opioid prescribing rates nationally.
Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
