What was the number of opioid-related deaths in the United States in 2017?

Opioid-Related Deaths in the United States in 2017

In 2017, there were 47,600 opioid-involved overdose deaths in the United States, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all drug overdose deaths (70,237) that year. 1

Breakdown of the 2017 Opioid Death Statistics

The opioid crisis reached a critical peak in 2017, with several key characteristics:

• Total drug overdose deaths: 70,237 2, 1
• Opioid-involved deaths: 47,600 (approximately 67.8% of all drug overdose deaths) 1
• This represented a 90% increase in opioid-involved deaths from 2013 to 2017 3
• The death rate from drug overdoses had increased 137% since 2000, including a 200% increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids 4

Types of Opioids Involved

The 2017 opioid death statistics reflected a shifting landscape in the types of opioids causing fatalities:

• Synthetic opioids (primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs) drove the majority of deaths 3, 1
• Prescription opioids continued to contribute significantly to the death toll 1
• Heroin remained a major contributor to opioid deaths 1
• Polysubstance use was common, with 62.6% of opioid deaths co-occurring with at least one common non-opioid drug (such as benzodiazepines, cocaine, or methamphetamine) 3

Geographic and Demographic Patterns

The opioid crisis in 2017 showed significant geographic and demographic variations:

• Highest age-adjusted drug overdose death rates were in states such as West Virginia (51.5 per 100,000), Delaware (43.8 per 100,000), Maryland (37.2 per 100,000), Pennsylvania (36.1 per 100,000), Ohio (35.9 per 100,000), and New Hampshire (35.8 per 100,000) 2
• The crisis disproportionately affected people in the 25-34 year (38.4 per 100,000), 35-44 year (39.0 per 100,000), and 45-54 year (37.7 per 100,000) age groups 2

Historical Context and Trends

The 2017 statistics represented the peak of a steadily worsening crisis:

• From 1999 to 2017, more than 165,000 persons died from overdoses related to opioid pain medication in the United States 2
• The rate of deaths from drug overdoses increased 137% from 2000 to 2017 4
• The number of opioid-involved overdose deaths increased 90% from 2013 (25,052) to 2017 (47,600) 3
• Drug poisoning had become the number one cause of injury-related death in the United States 2

Risk Factors and Vulnerable Populations

Several factors contributed to the high death rate in 2017:

• High-dose opioid therapy (>80-100 MME/day) was disproportionally associated with overdose deaths 5
• Concurrent use of opioids with other substances, especially alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other CNS depressants, increased overdose risk 5
• Adulterated heroin, often cut with fentanyl, presented a high risk due to its potency 5
• Periods after abstinence (such as after incarceration or detoxification) were high-risk times due to decreased tolerance 5

Subsequent Trends

Following 2017, there was a slight decrease in overall opioid deaths:

• In 2018, total drug overdose deaths decreased to 67,367, a 4.1% decline from 2017 1
• Deaths involving all opioids decreased 2%, prescription opioids decreased 13.5%, and heroin decreased 4.1% from 2017 to 2018 1
• However, deaths involving synthetic opioids continued to increase by 10% from 2017 to 2018 1

The 2017 opioid death statistics represent a critical point in the ongoing opioid epidemic, highlighting the need for comprehensive approaches to prevention, treatment, and harm reduction strategies.