New National Data Present a Mixed Picture: Some Drug Overdoses Down but Others are Up, and Suicides Rates are Increasing

(Washington, DC – January 30, 2020) Newly released mortality data from 2018 show the first increase in Americans’ life expectancy since 2014, and the first decline in the rate of drug overdose deaths, including opioid overdoses, since 2012. The year also saw an increase in suicide and in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, cocaine, and psychostimulants (a category that includes drugs like methamphetamine, amphetamine, and methylphenidate). The topline trends on mortality and opioids—released by the National Center for Health Statistics on January 30—are heartening after years of alarming trends, but suicides continue to rise, and drug overdoses remain a major public health issue that requires vigilance from policymakers to ensure sustained gains.

Key findings from today’s reports:

• Life expectancy: American’s life expectancy was 78.7 years in 2018, compared with 78.6 years in 2017. Life expectancy in the United States peaked in 2014 at 78.9 years.
• Suicide deaths: 48,344 Americans died from suicide in 2018, a rate of 14.2 deaths per 100,000. That’s a rate 2 percent higher than 2017 when 47,173 Americans died from suicide (14.0 deaths per 100,000).
• Overall drug overdoses deaths: 67,367 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2018, a rate of 20.7 deaths per 100,000. This is a rate 5 percent lower than over 2017 when 70,237 Americans died of drug overdoses (21.7 deaths per 100,000). Even with the decline, the 2018 rate of drug overdoses is still 74 percent higher than 2008.
• Opioid overdose deaths: 46,802 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2018, a rate of 14.6 deaths per 100,000. That’s a rate 2 percent lower than 2017 when 47,600 Americans died of opioid overdoses (14.9 deaths per 100,000). Even with the decline, the rate of opioid overdose deaths has more than doubled in the last decade.
• Synthetic opioid overdose deaths: 31,335 Americans died from synthetic opioid overdoses in 2018, a rate of 9.9 deaths per 100,000. That’s a rate 10 percent higher than 2017 when 28,466 Americans died of synthetic opioids overdoses (9.0 deaths per 100,000). The rate of synthetic opioid overdose deaths has increased almost 900 percent over the last five years.
• Cocaine overdose deaths: 14,666 Americans died from cocaine overdoses in 2018, a rate of 4.5 deaths per 100,000. That rate is 5 percent higher than 2017, when 13,942 Americans died of cocaine overdoses (4.3 deaths per 100,000). The rate of cocaine overdose deaths has increased by almost three-fold over the past five years.
• Psychostimulant overdose deaths: 12,676 Americans died from psychostimulants in 2018, a rate of 3.9 deaths per 100,000. That’s a rate 22 percent higher than 2017, when 10,333 Americans died from psychostimulant overdoses (3.2 deaths per 100,000). The rate of psychostimulants overdose death has increased by more than three-fold over the past five years.Additional annual data (1999-2018) and state-level data on drug overdose death can be found below.“While we have some cause for celebration, now is not the time to become complacent,” said Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, chief strategy officer, Well Being Trust. “It’s been important to focus on harm reduction and saving lives—but policy and investments must go further to reduce what’s driving despair and prevent substance misuse issues and suicidal ideation from developing in the first place. No one policy will solve this crisis we’re facing as a country—what is need is a comprehensive, actionable framework for policy makers.”“These new data suggest efforts to reduce opioid deaths are starting to take hold, particularly by reducing inappropriate opioid prescribing and expanding treatment options,” said John Auerbach, President and CEO of the Trust for America’s Health. “These data show we can make a positive difference when we adopt evidence-based approaches and expand the available resources.   But we need to expand that approach to prevent suicides and address all forms of substance misuse.  That requires a comprehensive approach that pays attention to the upstream root causes, like childhood trauma, poverty and discrimination,”Over the last four years, Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT) have released as series of reports on “deaths of despair” called Pain in the Nation: The Drug, Alcohol and Suicides Epidemics and the Need for a National Resilience Strategy, which include data analysis and recommendations for evidence-based policies and programs that federal, state, and local officials.

Drug Overdose Deaths, 1999-2018 (Rates age-adjusted)

Source National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics

2018 Drug Overdose Deaths by State

Source National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics

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 Trust for America’s Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority. @HealthyAmerica1

Well Being Trust is a national foundation dedicated to advancing the mental, social, and spiritual health of the nation. Created to include participation from organizations across sectors and perspectives, Well Being Trust is committed to innovating and addressing the most critical mental health challenges facing America, and to transforming individual and community well-being. www.wellbeingtrust.org @WellBeingTrust