Figure 1. National Drug Overdose Deaths Number Among All ... · deaths that occurred in the United States in 2017 (Figure 1), with 66% of cases among males (grey line). The main driver

Figure 1. National Drug Overdose DeathsNumber Among All Ages, by Gender, 1999-2017

16,849

36,010

70,237

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Total Overdose Deaths Male Female

Source: : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Multiple Cause of Death

1999-2017 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released December, 2018

Figure 2. National Drug Overdose DeathsNumber Among All Ages, 1999-2017

Other Synthetic Narcotics other than Methadone (mainly fentanyl), 28,466Prescription Opioids, 17,029

Heroin, 15,482Cocaine, 13,942

Benzodiazepines, 11,537

Psychostimulants with Abuse Potential (Including Methamphetamine), 10,333Antidepressants, 5,269

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

19992001

20032005

20072009

20112013

20152017

Source: : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Multiple Cause of Death 1999-2017 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released December, 2018

Figure 3. National Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Any Opioid,Number Among All Ages, by Gender, 1999-2017


8,048

18,515

47,600

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

19992000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20132014

20152016

2017

Opioids Male Female

Figure 4. National Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Prescription Opioids, Number Among All Ages, 1999-2017

3,442

12,796

17,029

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

19992000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20132014

20152016

2017

Prescription OpioidsPrescription Opioids Without Other Synthetic NarcoticsPrescription Opioids and Other Synthetic Narcotics


Figure 5. National Drug Overdose Deaths Involving HeroinNumber Among All Ages, 1999-2017


1,960 2,399

15,482

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

19992000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20132014

20152016

2017

HeroinHeroin Without Other Synthetic NarcoticsHeroin and Other Synthetic Narcotics

Figure 6. National Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Psychostimulants With Abuse Potential (Including

Methamphetamine), by Opioid Involvement Number Among All Ages, 1999-2017

547 1,378

10,333

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

19992000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20132014

20152016

2017

PsychostimulantsPsychostimulants and Any OpioidPsychostimulants Without Any OpioidPsychostimulants and Other Synthetic Narcotics


Figure 7. National Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Cocaine, by Opioid Involvement

Number Among All Ages, 1999-2017


3,822

6,512

13,942

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

19992000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20132014

20152016

2017

CocaineCocaine and Any OpioidCocaine Without Any OpioidCocaine and Other Synthetic Narcotics

Figure 8. National Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Benzodiazepines, by Opioid Involvement,



1,135

4,500

11,537

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

19992000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20132014

20152016

2017

BenzodiazepinesBenzodiazepines and Any OpioidBenzodiazepines Without Any OpioidBenzodiazepines and Other Synthetic Narcotics

Figure 9. National Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Antidepressants, by Opioid Involvement,



1,7493,425

5,269

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

19992000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20132014

20152016

2017

AntidepressantsAntidepressants and Any OpioidAntidepressants Without Any OpioidAntidepressants and Other Synthetic Narcotics

Alternative Text• The figures above are bar charts showing the number or rate of U.S. overdose deaths

involving select prescription and illicit drugs from 1999 through 2017. The bars are overlaid

by lines representing gender or opioid involvement. There were 70,237 drug overdose

deaths that occurred in the United States in 2017 (Figure 1), with 66% of cases among

males (grey line). The main driver of drug overdose deaths were opioids―mainly synthetic

opioids (other than methadone), with a 12.9-fold increase from 2007 to 2017 (Figure 2).

• Drug overdose deaths involving any opioid―prescription opioids (including methadone),

synthetic opioids, and heroin―rose from 18,515 deaths in 2007 to 47,600 deaths in 2017;

68% of deaths occurred among males (Figure 3). From 2016 to 2017, the number of deaths

involving prescription opioids remained unchanged (Figure 4) with a decrease reported for

deaths involving prescription opioids without synthetic opioids.

• Overdose deaths involving heroin (Figure 5), psychostimulants (Figure 6) or cocaine (Figure

7) also rose in 2017; however, deaths involving heroin or cocaine were driven by deaths

involving the combination of these drugs with synthetic opioids. Deaths involving

psychostimulants rose independently from those in combination with synthetic opioids.

• The final two charts show the number of overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines

(Figure 8) or antidepressants (Figure 9). Benzodiazepines were involved in 11,537 deaths in

2017. These were driven by the combination of these prescription drugs with any opioid.

Deaths involving antidepressants are also rising, although at a much slower rate than

benzodiazepines. As is the case with benzodiazepines, deaths involving antidepressants are

mainly driven by those also involving synthetic opioids.

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Figure 1. National Drug Overdose Deaths Number Among All ... · deaths that occurred in the United States in 2017 (Figure 1), with 66% of cases among males (grey line). The main driver