US overdose deaths from synthetic opioids increased in 2016

New data, released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), shows that 64,070 people died from drug overdoses in the US last year – an increase of 21% over the 52,898 deaths in 2015.

The number of deaths from drug overdoses is almost twice as high as those from motor vehicles and firearms.

Posted on the CDC website, these statistics provide the latest picture of the growing opioid crisis. CDC said it would update the statistics monthly.

The agency blames the increase in deaths on a synthetic opioid usually prescribed for managing pain during surgery or in end-of-life situations. It has a strong depressive effect on the respiratory system.

Overdoses of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids caused 20,145 deaths in 2016, significantly higher than the 14.427 deaths from heroin overdoses. By comparison, overdose deaths caused by synthetic opioids totalled 9,945 in 2015.

The latest CDC data shows that deaths from semi-synthetic and natural opioid pills increased at a slower rate than synthetic opioids, from 12,726 in 2015 to 14,427 in 2016.

The analysis of drug overdose deaths published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly shows that about half the increase in overdose deaths since 2013 involving heroin were incidents where individuals abused heroin and fentanyl simultaneously.

The analysis also noted that opioid overdoses resulted in about 300,000 deaths in the US from 1999 to 2015, with 33,000 of those occurring in 2015.