Synthetic Opioid Overdose Data

In 2020, more than 56,000 deaths involving synthetic opioids (other than methadone) occurred in the United States, which is more deaths than from any other type of opioid. Synthetic opioid-involved death rates increased by over 56% from 2019 to 2020 and accounted for over 82% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2020. The rate of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids was more than 18 times higher in 2020 than in 2013.¹

Previous reports have indicated that increases in synthetic opioid-involved deaths have been associated with the number of drug submissions obtained by law enforcement that test positive for fentanyl but not with fentanyl prescribing rates. These reports indicate that increases in synthetic opioid-involved deaths are being driven by increases in fentanyl-involved overdose deaths, and the source of the fentanyl is more likely to be illicitly manufactured than pharmaceutical.^2,3,4

There are also fentanyl analogs, such as acetylfentanyl, furanylfentanyl, and carfentanil, which are similar in chemical structure to fentanyl but not routinely detected because specialized toxicology testing is required. Recent surveillance has also identified other emerging synthetic opioids, like U-47700.⁵ Estimates of the potency of fentanyl analogs vary from less potent than fentanyl to much more potent than fentanyl, but there is some uncertainty because potency of illicitly manufactured fentanyl analogs has not been evaluated in humans. Carfentanil, the most potent fentanyl analog detected in the U.S., is estimated to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine. ^5,6

2019-2020

See data table for Changes in drug overdose death rates involving synthetic opioids by select states, United States, 2019-2020

2018-2019

See data table for Changes in drug overdose death rates involving synthetic opioids by select states, United States, 2018-2019

2017-2018

See data table for Changes in drug overdose death rates involving synthetic opioids by select states, United States, 2017-2018

2016-2017

See data table for Changes in drug overdose death rates involving synthetic opioids by select states, United States, 2016-2017

Synthetic Opioid Overdose Urbanicity

The figures below show the changes in age-adjusted death rates involving synthetic opioids by urbanization classification of residence from year to year.

• Large central metro—Counties in metropolitan statistical areas of 1 million or more population that:
  • Contain the entire population of the largest principal city
  • Have their entire population contained in the largest principal city
  • Contain at least 250,000 inhabitants of any principal city
• Large fringe metro—Counties of 1 million or more population that did not qualify as large central metro counties.
• Medium metro—Counties of populations of 250,000 to 999,999.
• Small metro—Counties of populations less than 250,000.
• Micropolitan—Counties in micropolitan statistical areas that have a population of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000.
• Noncore—Nonmetropolitan counties that did not qualify as micropolitan.

Categories of 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties

References

1. Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2021. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov.
2. Gladden RM, Martinez P, Seth P. Fentanyl law enforcement submissions and increases in synthetic opioid-Involved overdose deaths – 27 states, 2013-2014. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(33):837-43.
3. Peterson AB, Gladden RM, Delcher C, Spies E, Garcia-Williams A, Wang Y, et al. Increases in fentanyl-related overdose deaths – Florida and Ohio, 2013-2015. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(33):844-9.
4. O’Donnell JK, Gladden RM, Seth P. Trends in Deaths Involving Heroin and Synthetic Opioids Excluding Methadone, and Law Enforcement Drug Product Reports, by Census Region — United States, 2006–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;66:897–903.
5. O’Donnell JK, Halpin J, Mattson CL, Goldberger BA, Gladden RM. Deaths Involving Fentanyl, Fentanyl Analogs, and U-47700 — 10 States, July–December 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;66:1197–1202.
6. O’Donnell J, Gladden RM, Mattson CL, Kariisa M. Notes from the Field: Overdose Deaths with Carfentanil and Other Fentanyl Analogs Detected – 10 States, July 2016-June 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. July 2018. 67(27);767–768.
7. Hedegaard H, Miniño AM, Spencer MR, Warner M. Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2020 [PDF]. National Center for Health Statistics, December 2021.