Overdose deaths jump 4.6% in 2019: CDC

Washington, July 16
The number of deaths due to drug overdose in the US has increased by 4.6 per cent between 2018 and 2019, preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed.

According to the data revealed n Wednesday, around 70,980 people in the US died from drug overdose in 2019, up from 67,850 last year, reports Xinhua news agency.

Between January and April this year, drug overdose deaths rose by 11.4 per cent, compared with the same period of 2019.

Opioids, are the main factor behind drug overdose deaths, the CDC said.

Cocaine and psychostimulants accounted for 45.4 per cent of the total in 2019, rising from 34.7 per cent in 2017.