U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Hit Record High in 2021

walkway inside the memorial park

According to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, an estimated 107,622 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021, a 15% increase from the previous year. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, was involved in the most deaths.

“You won’t see a reversal in the same way you saw the acceleration because these drug distribution networks and addiction become embedded in the community. And it’s not like they turn off overnight.”

Katherine Keyes, associate professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

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