Following investigations into the underlying causes of mortality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categorizes drug overdose fatalities as such. These investigations may require an extended period of time. Provisional data categorizes fatal overdoses based on the specific substances involved in each instance. A death that involves two drugs is recorded in the death counts for both substances. For example, the death of an individual who possessed both heroin and fentanyl would be classified as an overdose death from heroin and a synthetic opioid other than methadone, which is how fentanyl is classified.
The CDC reported that the number of opioid overdose fatalities decreased from 84,181 to 81,083 between 2022 and 2023, and that there was a slight decrease in fentanyl deaths. The number of overdose fatalities caused by semi-synthetic drugs, such as codeine and morphine, decreased from 12,135 to 10,171. In contrast, the number of fatalities caused by psychostimulants, including cocaine and methamphetamines, increased from 63,991 to 66,169 during the same time frame.
The CDC released final federal figures in March, which revealed that a record-breaking number of Americans—nearly 108,000—died of drug overdoses in 2022. Houry observed that the decrease in provisional data “is indicative of the diligent effort being made on the ground as part of a coordinated federal effort on harm reduction, services, and prevention by all of our partners in this endeavor.”
