Where Does Tennessee Rank In Drug Overdose Deaths?

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Published July 26, 2021

By Hristina Byrnes [24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square] –

More than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2020, a nearly 30% surge from 2019 and the most ever recorded in a single year, according to recently released data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tennessee Capitol Building in Nashville

Addiction experts say the increase in overdose deaths was largely driven by the increased presence of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl in the U.S. Other contributors include problems related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as increased isolation and job losses.

Tennessee is the state with the fifth most drug overdose deaths per capita in 2020. There were 45 fatal overdoses per 100,000, or a total of 3,091 drug overdose-related deaths.

Last year, most reported an increase in drug overdose deaths after seeing a decrease in deaths in 2019. In Tennessee, there were 31 fatal drug overdoses in the state per 100,000 residents, or a total of 2,138, in 2019.

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The average number of overdose deaths in Tennessee between 2015 and 2019 was 26 per 100,000 people a year, the 12th most of all U.S. states, or an average of 1,771 overdose-related deaths a year.

To determine the states with the highest drug overdose fatality rates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed recently released CDC preliminary estimates of drug overdose deaths. The states are ranked based on the number of drug-related deaths per 100,000 residents. These are the states with the most drug overdose deaths per capita in 2020. 

These are the states with the most drug overdose deaths in 2020:

StateOverdose deaths per 100,000 (2020)Total overdose deaths (2020)Overdose deaths per 100,000 (2019)Total overdose deaths (2019)Average overdose deaths a year per 100,000 (2015-2019)Total average over deaths a year (2015-2019)
West Virginia741,3264885248868
Kentucky472,104311,369311,391
Delaware464494342334329
Maryland462,761392,360352,086
Tennessee453,091312,138261,771
Ohio455,215374,279364,217
Louisiana411,925281,304231,090
Pennsylvania405,172354,444354,441
Connecticut391,385351,231291,031
New Mexico387882960925524
Rhode Island373963031731329
Maine364902736226347
Arizona362,644271,981221,585
Florida357,555265,524234,850
Indiana342,268251,704231,578
South Carolina341,728221,13119969
Massachusetts332,293322,215312,102
New Jersey322,815312,774262,329
Missouri311,921261,603231,422
Vermont301861911820125
Nevada309142371023716
New Hampshire293932939532438
North Carolina293,011212,236202,064
Illinois283,528222,775202,513
Michigan272,743242,358242,383
Wisconsin261,530211,200191,083
Colorado261,512191,100171,004
Virginia262,186181,538161,357
New York264,979193,634183,544
California239,142166,363135,280
Washington231,724161,251151,162
Alabama209891573915749
Alaska201461813317126
Utah196221857520630
Hawaii192741724515206
Oregon197981461013539
Minnesota191,0661478812682
Oklahoma197461661818723
Wyoming1710112721377
Georgia171,848131,378131,389
Mississippi175101236511330
Arkansas175151236213397
North Dakota1612312901076
Kansas164681338012336
Idaho162801526413237
Montana151571313912124
Texas144,153113,123102,887
Iowa134191135010316
Nebraska1120981467136
South Dakota8741088870
Source: 24/7 Wall St.
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About the Author:

Hristina Byrnes is the Managing Editor of 24/7 Tempo, part of media company 24/7 Wall St, based in New York. Previously, she was a senior editor at The Active Times, where she wrote for the health, travel, and lifestyle sections.

Her work has been quoted or mentioned in Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Business Insider, CBS News, Fox News, and Daily Mail. She completed a master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2012. Follow Hristina on Twitter @hristinabyrnes.

One thought on “Where Does Tennessee Rank In Drug Overdose Deaths?

  • July 26, 2021 at 9:17 pm
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    My question is how do they know? We kept being told EVERY death last year was covid related, regardless of any co-morbities, or other natural causes. So how accurate can the records be…
    Another musing thought about the overdose rate; how are they comparing these overdoses? Solely as an overdose that lead to death?

    I am sorry that so many feel the need to do drugs/alcohol to escape their life. Fentynil did nothing to help ease the rates either. Its just an incredibly sad struggle for many people and their families.

    Reply

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