Drug Overdose Death Rates In The U.S. Are Rising Everywhere

Drug overdose deaths are on the rise across all genders, demographics and geographic areas, according to a new CDC report.

A total of 63,632 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2016 — a 21.5% increase over the 2015 total, according to the report. The researchers attribute this sharp uptick in deaths to the fatalities involving potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which doubled in 2016.

The report drew on data from 31 states, plus Washington, D.C.