The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new report detailing the states that have seen the highest rates of drug overdoses over the past 15 years. According to the study, which is based on National Vital Statistics System data, West Virginia tops the list with 35.5 fatal overdoses per 100,000 people. New Mexico, New Hampshire, Kentucky and Ohio rounded out the top five.
The CDC has also determined that more than 28,000 people in the United States died from opioid overdoses in 2014 (last year’s numbers are not yet available), and that the numbers of these overdoses in particular have more than tripled since the year 2000. In all, roughly 47,000 people died from drug overdoses in general.
In terms of age groups, individuals between 25 and 44 and those older than 55 saw the highest increases in drug overdose rates. States with the most significant increases in fatal overdoses included Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine and Maryland.
According to the CDC, there were more than 1.5 times more fatal drug overdoses between 2000 and 2014 than there were fatal auto accidents.
Twin Cities Public Health 