US drug overdose deaths rose to record 93,000 last year

U.S. drug overdose deaths hit a new record of more than 93,000 last year as the opioid epidemic continued during the pandemic.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented 93,331 overdose deaths in 2020 in an almost 30 percent jump from the previous year.

Opioid overdoses made up the bulk of the deaths, at around 69,000. The synthetic opioid fentanyl has driven much of the crisis.

Background: The surge in drug overdose deaths represents a setback after overdose fatalities fell slightly in 2018 for the first time in decades. The increase came amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased isolation and stretched and redirected health care resources to fight the virus.

A bankruptcy plan for Purdue Pharma, a company at the center of the opioid crisis, has the potential to provide additional funds to combat the crisis. Fifteen states last week agreed to a $4.5 billion settlement deal.