On December 21, 2018, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release.

In 2017, among 70,237 drug overdose deaths, 47,600 (67.8%) involved opioids, with increases across age groups, racial/ethnic groups, county urbanization levels, and in multiple states. From 2013 to 2017, synthetic opioids contributed to increases in drug overdose death rates in several states. From 2016 to 2017, synthetic opioid-involved overdose death rates increased 45.2%.

The 63,632 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2016 represented a 21.4% increase from 2015; two thirds of these deaths involved an opioid (1). From 2015 to 2016, drug overdose deaths increased in all drug categories examined; the largest increase occurred among deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (synthetic opioids), which includes illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) (1). Since 2013, driven largely by IMF, including fentanyl analogs (2–4), the current wave of the opioid overdose epidemic has been marked by increases in deaths involving synthetic opioids. IMF has contributed to increases in overdose deaths, with geographic differences reported (1). CDC examined state-level changes in death rates involving all drug overdoses in 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC) and those involving synthetic opioids in 20 states, during 2013–2017. In addition, changes in death rates from 2016 to 2017 involving all opioids and opioid subcategories,* were examined by demographics, county urbanization levels, and by 34 states and DC. Among 70,237 drug overdose deaths in 2017, 47,600 (67.8%) involved an opioid.† From 2013 to 2017, drug overdose death rates increased in 35 of 50 states and DC, and significant increases in death rates involving synthetic opioids occurred in 15 of 20 states, likely driven by IMF (2,3). From 2016 to 2017, overdose deaths involving all opioids and synthetic opioids increased, but deaths involving prescription opioids and heroin remained stable. The opioid overdose epidemic continues to worsen and evolve because of the continuing increase in deaths involving synthetic opioids. Provisional data from 2018 indicate potential improvements in some drug overdose indicators;§ however, analysis of final data from 2018 is necessary for confirmation. More timely and comprehensive surveillance data are essential to inform efforts to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses; intensified prevention and response measures are urgently needed to curb deaths involving prescription and illicit opioids, specifically IMF.

Drug overdose deaths were identified in the National Vital Statistics System multiple cause-of-death mortality files,¶ with death certificate data coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X40–44 (unintentional), X60–64 (suicide), X85 (homicide), or Y10–Y14 (undetermined intent). Among deaths with drug overdose as the underlying cause, the type of drug or drug category is indicated by the following ICD-10 multiple cause-of-death codes: opioids (T40.0, T40.1, T40.2, T40.3, T40.4, or T40.6)**; natural/semisynthetic opioids (T40.2); methadone (T40.3); heroin (T40.1); synthetic opioids other than methadone (T40.4); cocaine (T40.5); and psychostimulants with abuse potential (T43.6).†† Some deaths involved more than one type of drug, and these were included in rates for each drug category; thus, categories are not mutually exclusive.§§

Annual percent change with statistically significant trends in age-adjusted drug overdose death rates¶¶ for all 50 states and DC from 2013 to 2017 and in age-adjusted death rates involving synthetic opioids for 20 states that met drug specificity criteria*** were analyzed using Joinpoint regression.††† Age-adjusted overdose death rates were examined from 2016 to 2017 for all opioids, prescription opioids (5), heroin, and synthetic opioids. Death rates were stratified by age, sex, racial/ethnic group, urbanization level,§§§ and state. State-level analyses included DC and 34 states with adequate drug specificity data for 2016 and 2017.¶¶¶ Analyses comparing changes in death rates from 2016 to 2017 used z-tests when the number of deaths was ≥100 and nonoverlapping confidence intervals based on a gamma distribution when the number was <100.****

Drug overdoses resulted in 70,237 deaths during 2017; among these, 47,600 (67.8%) involved opioids (14.9 per 100,000 population), representing a 12.0% rate increase from 2016 (Table 1). Synthetic opioids were involved in 59.8% of all opioid-involved overdose deaths; the rate increased by 45.2% from 2016 to 2017 (Table 2). From 2013 through 2017, overdose death rates increased significantly in 35 states and DC; 15 of 20 states that met drug specificity criteria had significant increases in overdose death rates involving synthetic opioids (Figure). From 2016 to 2017, death rates involving cocaine and psychostimulants increased 34.4% (from 3.2 to 4.3 per 100,000) and 33.3% (from 2.4 to 3.2 per 100,000), respectively, likely contributing to increases in drug overdose deaths; however, rates remained stable for deaths involving prescription opioids (5.2 per 100,000) (Table 1) and heroin (4.9) (Table 2).

From 2016 to 2017, opioid-involved overdose deaths increased among males and females and among persons aged ≥25 years, non-Hispanic whites (whites), non-Hispanic blacks (blacks), and Hispanics (Table 1). The largest relative change occurred among blacks (25.2%), and the largest absolute rate increase was among males aged 25–44 years (an increase of 4.6 per 100,000). The largest relative change among age groups was for persons aged ≥65 years (17.2%). Counties in medium metro areas experienced the largest absolute rate increase (an increase of 1.9 per 100,000), and the largest relative rate increase occurred in micropolitan counties (14.9%). Death rates increased significantly in 15 states, with the largest relative changes in North Carolina (28.6%), Ohio (19.1%), and Maine (18.7%).

From 2016 to 2017, the prescription opioid-involved death rate decreased 13.2% among males aged 15–24 years but increased 10.5% among persons aged ≥65 years (Table 1). These death rates remained stable from 2016 to 2017 across all racial groups and urbanization levels and in most states, although five states (Maine, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Washington) experienced significant decreases, and one (Illinois) had a significant increase. The largest relative changes included a 29.7% increase in Illinois and a 39.2% decrease in Maine. The highest prescription opioid-involved death rates in 2017 were in West Virginia (17.2 per 100,000), Maryland (11.5), and Utah (10.8).

Heroin-involved overdose death rates declined among many groups in 2017 compared with those in 2016 (Table 2). The largest declines occurred among persons aged 15–24 years (15.0%), particularly males (17.5%), as well as in medium metro counties (6.1%). Rates declined 3.2% among whites. However, heroin-involved overdose death rates did increase among some groups; the largest relative rate increase occurred among persons aged ≥65 years (16.7%) and 55–64 years (11.6%) and among blacks (8.9%). Rates remained stable in most states, with significant decreases in five states (Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio), and increases in three (California, Illinois, and Virginia). The largest relative decrease (31.9%) was in Ohio, and the largest relative increase (21.8%) was in Virginia. The highest heroin-involved overdose death rates in 2017 were in DC (18.0 per 100,000), West Virginia (14.9), and Connecticut (12.4).

Deaths involving synthetic opioids propelled increases from 2016 to 2017 across all demographic categories (Table 2). The highest death rate was in males aged 25–44 years (27.0 per 100,000), and the largest relative increases occurred among blacks (60.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Natives (58.5%). Deaths increased across all urbanization levels from 2016 to 2017. Twenty-three states and DC experienced significant increases in synthetic opioid-involved overdose death rates, including eight states west of the Mississippi River. The largest relative rate increase occurred in Arizona (122.2%), followed by North Carolina (112.9%) and Oregon (90.9%). The highest synthetic opioid-involved overdose death rates in 2017 were in West Virginia (37.4 per 100,000), Ohio (32.4), and New Hampshire (30.4).