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U.S. overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says

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NEW YORK (AP) — More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic U.S. record.

That translates to roughly one overdose death every 5 minutes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday released provisional data for 2021.

The estimate marked a 15% increase from previous record — set just the year before. The CDC reviews death certificates to come up with the estimates.

CDC: Preventing Opioid Overdose

Overdose death trends are geographically uneven. Alaska saw a 75% increase in 2021 — the largest jump of any state. In Hawaii, overdose deaths fell by 2%.

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