The escalating trend of drug overdose fatalities in the United States shattered yet another record in 2022, according to the latest data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Figures released by the CDC indicate that approximately 107,941 Americans succumbed to drug overdoses in 2022. This distressing figure represents a 1% increase over the number of overdose fatalities recorded in 2021.
Each year for the past two decades has seen an almost unbroken rise in the number of fatal overdoses, with each year setting a new unwanted record.
The 2022 data highlighted a notable shift with regards to gender. For the first time in five years, the overdose death rate among women declined. However, the same could not be said for their male counterparts, with the rate of fatal overdoses among men continuing to rise.
Research indicates that men account for approximately 70% of overdose deaths in the U.S. This disparity is thought to be due to both biological and social factors that render men more prone to drug overdoses.
Beyond gender, the CDC’s data also revealed racial and ethnic disparities in drug overdose deaths. American Indian and Alaskan Native populations experienced a significant increase in the overdose death rate, with a 15% jump in 2022.
There were also increases among Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals, while the overdose death rate among white individuals decreased.
The 2022 data indicated a decrease in deaths from heroin and natural opioids such as morphine and oxycodone. However, deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids showed a worrying escalation.
Fatal overdoses involving synthetic opioids other than methadone more than doubled in the last five years14. Deaths involving cocaine also saw a substantial increase in 2022, rising by over 12% in a single year. Deaths linked to psychostimulants also increased in 2022, by approximately 4%.
