Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Fentanyl Up 1,000% Over 6 Years
Deaths from the synthetic opioid fentanyl skyrocketed more than 1,000% from 2011 to 2016.
Data from the CDC found that Americans are now more likely to die from a drug overdose than a car accident. In 2017, drug overdoses killed more than 70,000 Americans, and opioids are the leading driver in US drug overdose deaths. Opioids are a class of drugs that includes illicit fentanyl and heroin, as well as commonly prescribed painkillers, such as oxycodone and morphine.