The CDC reports that drug overdose death rates (from all causes) are up 29.4% over the last 12 months most likely reflecting so-called “deaths of despair” as the SARS-COV2 pandemic continues unabated. This probably represents death from illicit drug abuse often times laced with fentanyl – a cheap but super-potent synthetic opioid frequently mixed with heroin – since opiate prescribing has declined ~41% from 2012 to 2019.
In the southeast region of the US from 12/19 to 12/20, the CDC predicts a 36.8% increase in drug overdosage deaths in North Carolina, a 51.9 % increase in South Carolina, and a 37% increase in Florida.
Source: CDC Vital Statistics