More than 90,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2020, a record high according to provisional estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Overdose deaths increased by almost 30% since the beginning of the pandemic and rose over 50% in some states.
The release of the provisional 2020 data[1] comes as state officials announce a $26 billion settlement with drug distributors Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen and McKesson and pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson for their role in the opioid epidemic. The settlement money will be distributed among state and local governments for opioid treatment and prevention programs.
