This Is Where Washington Ranks In Drug Overdose Deaths In 2020

By Hristina Byrnes, 24/7 Wall St. - Seattle

2021-07-22

More than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2020, a nearly 30% surge from 2019 and the most ever recorded in a single year, according to recently released data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Addiction experts say the increase in overdose deaths was largely driven by the increased presence of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl in the U.S. Other contributors include problems related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as increased isolation and job losses.

Washington is the state with the 20th fewest drug overdose deaths per capita in 2020. There were 23 fatal overdoses per 100,000, or a total of 1,724 drug overdose-related deaths.

Last year, most reported an increase in drug overdose deaths after seeing a decrease in deaths in 2019. In Washington, there were 16 fatal drug overdoses in the state per 100,000 residents, or a total of 1,251, in 2019.

The average number of overdose deaths in Washington between 2015 and 2019 was 15 per 100,000 people a year, the 17th fewest of all U.S. states, or an average of 1,162 overdose-related deaths a year.

To determine the states with the highest drug overdose fatality rates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed recently released CDC preliminary estimates of drug overdose deaths. The states are ranked based on the number of drug-related deaths per 100,000 residents. These are the states with the most drug overdose deaths per capita in 2020. These are the states with the most drug overdose deaths in 2020.

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.