Drug overdose deaths hit a record high of more than 70,000 in 2017, according to Center for Disease Control and Preventions statistics released Thursday.
Nov. 29 (UPI) — Drug overdose deaths hit a record high of more than 70,000 in 2017, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention statistics released Thursday.
Three CDC studies released Thursday shine a light on grim life expectancy statistics in the United States. Overall, drug overdoses dragged down life expectancy slightly from 76.2 in 2016 to 76.1 in 2017, the agency reports.
Opioids like fentanyl and tramadol caused close to 30,000 of those drug-related deaths, pushing up overall deaths in the U. S. by 45 percent between 2016 and 2017 .
“Tragically, this troubling trend is largely driven by deaths from drug overdose and suicide,” Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said in a statement .
