The prescription opioid epidemic: an update

Figures & data

Figure 1 Overdose deaths involving opioids by type of opioid, United States, 2000–2016.

Note: Hedegaard H, Warner M, Miniño AM. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 294. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017.⁵⁸

Table 1 Opioid Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2016

Year	Any opioid		Heroin		Natural and semisynthetic opioids		Methadone		Synthetic opioids other than methadone
	Number	Deaths per 100,000	Number	Deaths per 100,000	Number	Deaths per 100,000	Number	Deaths per 100,000	Number	Deaths per 100,000
1999	8,050	2.9	1,960	0.7	2,749	1.0	784	0.3	730	0.3
2000	8,407	3.0	1,842	0.7	2,917	1.0	986	0.4	782	0.3
2001	9,496	3.3	1,779	0.6	3,479	1.2	1,456	0.5	957	0.3
2002	11,920	4.1	2,089	0.7	4,416	1.5	2,358	0.8	1,295	0.4
2003	12,940	4.5	2,080	0.7	4,867	1.7	2,972	1.0	1,400	0.5
2004	13,756	4.7	1,878	0.6	5,231	1.8	3,845	1.3	1,664	0.6
2005	14,918	5.1	2,009	0.7	5,774	1.9	4,460	1.5	1,742	0.6
2006	17,545	5.9	2,088	0.7	7,017	2.3	5,406	1.8	2,707	0.9
2007	18,516	6.1	2,399	0.8	8,158	2.7	5,518	1.8	2,213	0.7
2008	19,582	6.4	3,041	1.0	9,119	3.0	4,924	1.6	2,306	0.8
2009	20,422	6.6	3,278	1.1	9,735	3.1	4,696	1.5	2,946	1.0
2010	21,089	6.8	3,036	1.0	10,943	3.5	4,577	1.5	3,007	1.0
2011	22,784	7.3	4,397	1.4	11,693	3.7	4,418	1.4	2,666	0.8
2012	23,166	7.4	5,925	1.9	11,140	3.5	3,932	1.2	2,628	0.8
2013	25,052	7.9	8,257	2.7	11,346	3.5	3,591	1.1	3,105	1.0
2014	28,647	9.0	10,574	3.4	12,159	3.8	3,400	1.1	5,544	1.8
2015	33,091	10.4	12,989	4.1	12,727	3.9	3,301	1.0	9,580	3.1
2016	42,249	13.3	15,469	4.9	14,487	4.4	3,373	1.0	19,413	6.2

Notes: NCHS Data Brief 294. Age-adjusted drug overdose death rates, by opioid category: United States, 1999–2016. Deaths are classified using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Drug-poisoning (overdose) deaths are identified using ICD-10 underlying cause-of-death codes X40–X44, X60–X64, X85, and Y10–Y14. Among deaths with drug overdose as the underlying cause, the following multiple cause-of-death codes indicate the drug type(s) involved: any opioid (T40.0–T40.4, T40.6), heroin (T40.1), natural and semisynthetic opioids (T40.2), methadone (T40.3), and synthetic opioids other than methadone (T40.4). Deaths involving more than one opioid category (e.g., a death involving both methadone and a natural or semisynthetic opioid such as oxycodone) are counted in both categories. Natural and semisynthetic opioids include drugs such as morphine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone; and synthetic opioids other than methadone include drugs such as fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol. The percentage of drug overdose deaths that identified the specific drugs involved varied by year, with ranges of 75%–79% from 1999 to 2013, and 81%–85% from 2014 to 2016. Hedegaard H, Warner M, Miniño AM. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 294. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017.⁵⁸

Source: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality.

Figure 2 12 month-end provisional of drug overdose deaths, by drug or drug class; United States.

Note: See notes to Table 1.

Figure 3 Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 2010–2015.

Notes: Deaths are classified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. Drug overdose deaths are identified using underlying cause-of-death codes X40–X44, X60–X64, X85, and Y10–Y14. The total number of drug overdose deaths was 38,329 in 2010, 47,055 in 2014, and 52,404 in 2015. Drug overdose deaths involving selected drug categories are identified by specific multiple cause-of-death codes: heroin, T40.1; natural and semisynthetic opioids, T40.2; methadone, T40.3; synthetic opioids excluding methadone, T40.4; cocaine, T40.5; and psychostimulants with abuse potential, T43.6. Categories are not mutually exclusive because deaths may involve more than one drug. The percentage of drug overdose deaths lacking information on the specific drugs involved varied by year: 25% in 2010, 19% in 2014, and 17% in 2015. Hedegaard H, Warner M, Miniño AM. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 294. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017.⁵⁸

Figure 4 Age-adjusted drug overdose death rates by race and ethnicity: United States, 1999–2015.

Notes: ¹Significant increasing trend, P<0.005. ²Rate for non-Hispanic white persons was significantly higher than for Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic, P<0.001. Deaths are classified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. Drug overdose deaths are identified using underlying cause-of-death codes X40–X44, X60–X64, X85, and Y10–Y14. Death for Hispanic persons may be underreported by about 5%. Hedegaard H, Warner M, Miniño AM. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 294. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017.⁵⁸

Hedegaard H, Warner M, Miniño AM. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 294. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2017.

 Google Scholar