The latest Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) drug overdose death numbers show 107,582 predicted overdose deaths nationally in the 12-month period ending in June 2022.

During the same time period, New York state saw a 4.84% increase, equaling 6,200 drug overdose deaths.

The CDC’s data indicates that most of the deaths are caused by illicit synthetic drugs like clandestinely manufactured fentanyl and methamphetamine, often in combination with other drugs, including cocaine and heroin. 

Other northeastern states that bucked the national trend and saw increases in overdose deaths included Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maine and Vermont.

New Hampshire’s overdose death numbers were especially high, with an increase of 25.53%.

Mid-Atlantic states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland all saw decreases in overdose deaths between June 2021 and June 2022. 

Wednesday's data represents a decrease in predicted overdose deaths in the U.S. for the third month in a row, and a steady slowing of the rate of increase for the eighth month in a row.

According to a statement from Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the overdose epidemic costs the U.S. $1.5 trillion annually. 

“We must remain focused on fully implementing President Biden’s strategy that will save tens of thousands of lives by expanding care for substance use disorder, making naloxone more accessible, and dismantling drug trafficking operations. To support this ongoing work, we need Congress to remove unnecessary barriers to treatment that prevent providers from prescribing medication for opioid use disorder, prioritize the enactment of the Administration’s proposal to make class-wide scheduling of fentanyl-related substances (FRS) permanent, and fully fund the President’s drug budget,” Gupta said in a press statement. 

You can find President Biden’s strategy to fight the drug epidemic here.

The White House is proposing to expand access to evidence-based prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services while reducing the supply of drugs like fentanyl.