300 Americans die from overdoses per DAY as fentanyl epidemic reaches new record, new CDC data shows

The US drug epidemic reached new heights in 2022, official data shows – with the escalating crisis showing no signs of abating.

A CDC report found that there were a record 107,941 overdose deaths that year, which is the most recent data available — the equivalent of 295 fatalities per day and a one percent increase from the year before.

Fentanyl was the main force behind the surge – which is deadly even in small doses – with the illicit drug responsible for almost 70 percent of fatalities.

Preliminary figures for 2023 indicate the epidemic continues to rise, with an estimated 110,640 fatalities in the 12 months to October that year. Oregon – which has experimented with decriminalizing drugs – is currently experiencing the sharpest increase in fatalities.

The above shows a person on the streets of San Francisco who has seen a wave of drug overdoses

The CDC report, released today, showed that there were 32.6 overdose deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, which was slightly higher than the 32.4 the year before.

It was also more than three times higher than the 8.2 recorded in 2022 when records began.

Deaths from synthetic opioids – such as fentanyl – rose 4.1 percent over the period from 70,000 to 73,000 – representing nearly 70 percent of total overdose deaths.

Broken down by age, researchers also recorded an increase of up to six percent in overdose deaths among those over 35, while this fell among younger age groups.

The increase was greatest among people aged 55 to 64, where it rose from 45.3 to 48.1 overdose deaths per 100,000 people.

By comparison, among those aged 25 to 34, overdose deaths fell by almost five percent to 50.6 over the same period.

The rise in deaths is caused by fentanyl, which provides a more intense high but is fatal even in small doses

The above shows the drug overdose death rate from 2021 to 2022 by age group

The above shows the death rate from drug overdose from 2021 to 2022, by ethnic group

And this graph shows the preliminary drug overdose figures per year

Dr. Katherine Keyes, an epidemiologist at Columbia University in New York, said: ‘These numbers are still extraordinarily high.

‘We should not suggest that the crisis is over at all.’

However, the White House doubled down on the figures, describing preliminary data for 2022 as a delay and saying thousands of lives had been saved.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, then head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said at the time: “We’ve expanded treatment to millions of Americans, we’re increasing access to Naloxone to reverse overdoses, and we’re attacking illegal drug control. fentanyl supply chain at every bottleneck.

‘The result is that around 19,000 people are still alive and able to be present at the dinner table, on birthdays and at life’s most important moments.’

The CDC report also published data on overdose deaths by ethnic group, showing that they had increased among all non-white groups.

The sharpest increase was recorded among the indigenous populations of India and Alaska, where overdose deaths rose 15 percent, from 56.6 to 65.2 overdose deaths per 100,000.

By comparison, among white adults they fell three percent from 36.8 to 35.6.

The official CDC figures are about two years behind due to the time it takes to record fatalities.

The CDC noted in its report that while there was an increase between 2021 and 2022, the overall shift was “not significant.”

“In contrast, rates have increased significantly in most previous years,” they wrote.

“From 2019 to 2020, the drug overdose death rate increased 31 percent, which was the largest annual increase from 2002 to 2022.”