Deaths by drug overdose have surged in the US in recent years, reaching what some call epidemic levels in select states and among certain segments of the US population. Drug overdose deaths in the United States have increased three-fold since 1999 from roughly 17,000 deaths to about 52,500 deaths in 2015, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the same period, the overdose death rate increased from 6 to 16 deaths per 100,000 people, which means that it grew at a much higher pace than did the US population. To put this further into perspective, the CDC data tell us that in 2015 more people died from drug overdoses in the United States than died from armed conflict in Africa.

Among US states, the "leader" based on number of drug overdose deaths in 2015 was California with 4,659 deaths. Taking total population into account, however, California’s rate is almost four times lower than that of West Virginia, the state with the highest overdose-related death rate.

Approximately half of all deaths were caused by an overdose of heroin and natural semi-synthetic opioids. This is particularly interesting given that the retail prices for heroin in the United States have increased considerably since 1999.

The growth in deaths from drug overdose is a significant public health burden in the United States. This burden disproportionately affects specific segments of the population, and these populations are shifting in some instances.