Record of overdose deaths in the US: the CDC reports about 108 thousand in 2022

AP

About 108 thousand Americans died from drug overdoses in 2022, according to definitive federal figures published on Thursday.

In the last two decades, the number of overdose deaths in the United States has increased almost every year and has continued to break annual records, becoming the worst overdose epidemic in American history.

The official figure for 2022 was 107,941 overdose deaths, reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is 1% higher than the nearly 107 thousand overdose deaths recorded in 2021.

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Previous data estimated more than 109 thousand overdose deaths in 2022, but the preliminary figures include all overdose deaths, while the definitive ones are limited to residents of the United States.

The rate of overdose deaths among women decreased for the first time in five years, although the rate of overdose deaths among men continued to rise, according to the report. Men account for about 70% of overdose deaths in the United States.

The total rate of drug overdose deaths increased from 2021 to 2022, but the increase was so small that it was not considered statistically significant.

The CDC has not reported last year's figures, although provisional data from the first 10 months of the year indicate that overdose deaths remained stable in 2023.

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These data emerge in the context of Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States, calling for international unity in the face of the global threat posed by synthetic drugs, such as opioids, whose consumption is the main cause of death in his country in the age group of 18 to 45 years.