Americans are more likely to die from opioid overdoses than from vehicle crashes for the first time ever, according to 2017 data.
A report released this week by the National Safety Council (NSC), a nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the US, found that opioid overdoses are currently the fifth most likely cause of death, with the odds of dying from overdose being 1 in 96. By comparison, the odds of dying in a motor vehicle crash are 1 in 103, the sixth most likely cause of death.
The number one cause of death is heart disease, with a 1 in 6 odds of dying, closely followed by cancer, with a 1 in 7 odds of dying.
