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Trends in Drug Overdose Deaths by Intent and Drug Categories, United States, 1999‒2022

Anallely Nguyen1, Jing Wang1, Kristin M Holland1

  • 1Anallely Nguyen, Jing Wang, Daniel C. Ehlman, and Deborah M. Stone are with the Division of Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA. Kristin M. Holland is with the Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC. Laura E. Welder and Kimberly D. Miller are with the Division of Overdose Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC.

American Journal of Public Health
|August 8, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Overdose deaths from unintentional causes, particularly synthetic opioids, have surged. While antidepressant and prescription opioid suicides are declining, psychostimulant-related suicides are increasing, highlighting distinct drug trends.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • The United States faces a severe overdose epidemic, with complex trends in drug-related deaths by intent.
  • Understanding shifts in overdose fatalities, especially suicides, is critical amidst rising unintentional overdose rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze trends in overdose deaths by intent (unintentional, suicide, undetermined) across various drug categories from 1999 to 2022.
  • To investigate the divergence in overdose suicide trends compared to unintentional overdose fatalities.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized US National Vital Statistics System mortality data.
  • Examined overdose death rates across 9 drug categories, stratified by intent.
  • Analyzed trends from 1999 to 2022, focusing on annual percentage changes between 2010-2022.

Main Results:

  • Unintentional overdoses involving synthetic opioids, psychostimulants, and cocaine showed exponential increases (15.0%–104.9% annually, 2010-2022).
  • Suicides involving psychostimulants increased significantly (12.9% annually, 2010-2022), though they represent a smaller proportion of overdose suicides.
  • Antidepressants, prescription opioids, and benzodiazepines remain leading drugs in overdose suicides, but these rates have stabilized or decreased.

Conclusions:

  • Divergent trends in overdose deaths are influenced by the specific drugs involved in suicides versus unintentional overdoses.
  • Safe medication storage is vital for preventing overdose suicides, while increased psychostimulant-related suicides require ongoing monitoring.

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