Opioid Overdose Deaths Surge Despite Decline in Prescriptions
Overdose Deaths Reach Historic High
In 2021, there were an estimated 81,502 opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This is a significant increase from the 57,834 deaths in 2020 and nearly double the 47,600 deaths in 2019.
The increase in overdose deaths is occurring despite a decline in the total volume of opioids prescribed to Medicare patients.
According to the CDC, the number of opioid prescriptions written for Medicare patients decreased by 30% between 2012 and 2021.
Health experts say the increase in overdose deaths is likely due to the rise of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.
The CDC says that more than 80,000 Americans each year are dying from fentanyl, as the opioid epidemic has morphed into a fentanyl crisis.
The death rate from overdose in major cities like New York and San Francisco is nearly double that of any other large city.
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