Drug Overdose Death Data

In 2016, 63,632 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States.  The age-adjusted rate of overdose deaths increased significantly by 21.5% from 2015 (16.3 (per 100,000) to 2016 (19.8 per 100,000). Opioids—prescription and illicit—are currently the main driver of drug overdose deaths. Opioids were involved in 42,249 overdose deaths in 2016 (66.4% of all drug overdose deaths).

In 2016, the states with the highest rates of death due to drug overdose were West Virginia (52.0 per 100,000), Ohio (39.1 per 100,000), New Hampshire (39.0 per 100,000), the District of Columbia (38.8 per 100,000), and Pennsylvania (37.9 per 100,000).¹

Significant increases in drug overdose death rates from 2015 to 2016 were seen in the Northeast, Midwest, and South Census Regions. States with statistically significant increases in drug overdose death rates included Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. ²

• 2015-2016 Increases
• 2014-2015 Increases
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2010-2016 Increases
• Data Sources

2015-2016 Increases

2014-2015 Increases

2016

2015

2014

2010-2016 Increases

State	2010 rate	2016 rate
West Virginia	28.9	52.0
Ohio	16.1	39.1
New Hampshire	11.8	39.0
District of Columbia	12.9	38.8
Pennsylvania	15.3	37.9
Kentucky	23.6	33.5
Maryland	11	33.2
Massachusetts	11	33.0
Delaware	16.6	30.8
Rhode Island	15.5	30.8
Maine	10.4	28.7
Connecticut	10.1	27.4
New Mexico	23.8	25.2
Tennessee	16.9	24.5
Michigan	13.9	24.4
Indiana	14.4	24.0
Florida	16.4	23.7
Missouri	17	23.6
New Jersey	9.8	23.2
Utah	16.9	22.4
Vermont	9.7	22.2
Louisiana	13.2	21.8
Nevada	20.7	21.7
Oklahoma	19.4	21.5
Arizona	17.5	20.3
North Carolina	11.4	19.7
Wisconsin	10.9	19.3
Illinois	10	18.9
South Carolina	14.6	18.1
New York	7.8	18.0
Wyoming	15	17.6
Alaska	11.6	16.8
Virginia	6.8	16.7
Colorado	12.7	16.6
Alabama	11.8	16.2
Idaho	11.8	15.2
Washington	13.1	14.5
Arkansas	12.5	14.0
Georgia	10.7	13.3
Hawaii	10.9	12.8
Minnesota	7.3	12.5
Mississippi	11.4	12.1
Oregon	12.9	11.9
Montana	12.9	11.7
California	10.6	11.2
Kansas	9.6	11.1
Iowa	8.6	10.6
North Dakota	3.4	10.6
Texas	9.6	10.1
South Dakota	6.3	8.4
Nebraska	6.7	6.4

* Rates shown are the number of deaths per 100,000 population. Age-adjusted death rates were calculated by applying age-specific death rates to the 2000 U.S standard population age distribution.

† Deaths are classified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD–10). Drug overdose deaths are identified using underlying cause-of-death codes X40–X44, X60–X64, X85, and Y10–Y14.

§ Joinpoint regression examining changes in trends from 2010 to 2016 indicated that 34 states had significant increases during the timeframe, or periods of increasing rates and stable rates during the timeframe (Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin). In two states, Florida and South Carolina, decreases were followed by increases, although the decrease was not statistically significant in South Carolina. In Kansas, a significant change in trend was observed in 2013, from increasing trend to decreasing trend, although the individual trends were non-significant due to small sample size. All remaining states had stable trends during this time.

Data Sources

Additional Data Sources

• National Vital Statistics System presents provisional counts for drug overdose deaths occurring within the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The counts represent the number of reported deaths due to drug overdose occurring in the 12-month periods ending in the month indicated.

• CDC’s WISQARS™ (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) is an interactive, online database that provides fatal and nonfatal injury, violent death, and cost of injury data from a variety of trusted sources.

• CDC’s WONDER (Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research) an easy-to-use, menu-driven system that makes the information resources of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) available to public health professionals and the public at large. It provides access to a wide array of public health information.

References

1. Hedegaard H, Warner M, Miniño AM. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 294. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017.
2. Multiple Cause of Death 1999–2016 on CDC Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics. 2017. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov.