Fentanyl is the cause of 40% of U.S. drug overdose deaths

Fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine were among the most common drugs behind U.S. overdose deaths in 2017, according to new CDC data that parsed regional differences. Here’s more: 

• Overall trends: Nationally, nearly 40% of all overdose deaths were due to fentanyl, followed by heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. 
• Regional differences: Heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl were among the top 10 most frequently involved drugs across all 10 HHS regions across the U.S. Methamphetamine was most frequently involved in four regions that include Texas and most states west of it. 
• Other trends: Deaths from heroin were highest in the two regions that encompass New England, New York, and the mid-Atlantic states. Unlike every other region, New England states did not see a high frequency of deaths from morphine.