More than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2020, a nearly 30% surge from 2019 and the most ever recorded in a single year, according to recently released data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Addiction experts say the increase in overdose deaths was largely driven by the increased presence of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl in the U.S. Other contributors include problems related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as increased isolation and job losses.
Oklahoma is the state with the 13th fewest drug overdose deaths per capita in 2020. There were 19 fatal overdoses per 100,000, or a total of 746 drug overdose-related deaths.
Last year, most reported an increase in drug overdose deaths after seeing a decrease in deaths in 2019. In Oklahoma, there were 16 fatal drug overdoses in the state per 100,000 residents, or a total of 618, in 2019.
The average number of overdose deaths in Oklahoma between 2015 and 2019 was 18 per 100,000 people a year, the 23rd fewest of all U.S. states, or an average of 723 overdose-related deaths a year.
To determine the states with the highest drug overdose fatality rates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed recently released CDC preliminary estimates of drug overdose deaths. The states are ranked based on the number of drug-related deaths per 100,000 residents. These are the states with the most drug overdose deaths per capita in 2020. These are the states with the most drug overdose deaths in 2020.
StateOverdose deaths per 100,000 (2020)Total overdose deaths (2020)Overdose deaths per 100,000 (2019)Total overdose deaths (2019)Average overdose deaths a year per 100,000 (2015-2019)Total average over deaths a year (2015-2019)West Virginia741,3264885248868Kentucky472,104311,369311,391Delaware464494342334329Maryland462,761392,360352,086Tennessee453,091312,138261,771Ohio455,215374,279364,217Louisiana411,925281,304231,090Pennsylvania405,172354,444354,441Connecticut391,385351,231291,031New Mexico387882960925524Rhode Island373963031731329Maine364902736226347Arizona362,644271,981221,585Florida357,555265,524234,850Indiana342,268251,704231,578South Carolina341,728221,13119969Massachusetts332,293322,215312,102New Jersey322,815312,774262,329Missouri311,921261,603231,422Vermont301861911820125Nevada309142371023716New Hampshire293932939532438North Carolina293,011212,236202,064Illinois283,528222,775202,513Michigan272,743242,358242,383Wisconsin261,530211,200191,083Colorado261,512191,100171,004Virginia262,186181,538161,357New York264,979193,634183,544California239,142166,363135,280Washington231,724161,251151,162Alabama209891573915749Alaska201461813317126Utah196221857520630Hawaii192741724515206Oregon197981461013539Minnesota191,0661478812682Oklahoma197461661818723Wyoming1710112721377Georgia171,848131,378131,389Mississippi175101236511330Arkansas175151236213397North Dakota1612312901076Kansas164681338012336Idaho162801526413237Montana151571313912124Texas144,153113,123102,887Iowa134191135010316Nebraska1120981467136South Dakota8741088870
via Oklahoma's Center Square News
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