US Opioid Epidemic: Drug Overdose Deaths Increases In 30 States Says CDC Statistics; Surged By More Than 100% In New Hampshire, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Connecticut & Maine

By Christon Jervil Ligon - 19 Dec '16 21:05PM

Drug overdose has been a growing concern for U.S. health officials in the past several years. Since the turn of the millennium back in 2000 and up until last year, 2015, the excessive and dangerous dose of a drug has taken away the lives of over 500,000 Americans.

Moreover, more than 60 percent of drug overdose death cases in 2015 involve opioids, such as heroin and prescription opioids. And as the sales of prescription opioids in the country reached four times that of the number since 1999, the number of people dying from prescription opioids, which include oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone, has also quadrupled in that same period. Today, close to a hundred Americans are killed by opioid overdose daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A Steady Surge In Drug Overdose Deaths Across The Country

The CDC data revealed that the drug overdose death rates spiked in 30 states and D.C. from 2010 to 2015. And just last year alone, more than 52,400 Americans lost their lives as compared to 47,055 in 2014. Opioid overdose accounted for 63 percent of those deaths for a total of 33,091 people.

New Hampshire recorded close to a 200 percent increase in drug overdose death, with North Dakota, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine also experiencing more than 100 percent surge.

The Opioid Epidemic In The U.S. Is A Grave Concern For Everyone

While more than 52,000 individuals in the U.S. died of drug overdose, the number of people who lost their lives from vehicular accidents is relatively smaller at 37,757, CBS News reported. The widespread epidemic is also killing more people compared to gun-related fatalities, which also posted a lower figure at 36,252.

"Urgent action is needed to help health care providers treat pain safely and treat opioid use disorder effectively, support law enforcement strategies to reduce the availability of illicit opiates, and support states to develop and implement programs that can save lives," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of CDC.