Drug Overdose Deaths
- In 2007, unintentional poisonings were the second leading cause of injury death (after motor-vehicle crashes) in the United States.
- In 2007, approximately 93% of all unintentional poisoning deaths were caused by drug overdose.
- From 1990 to 2001 in Florida, the nonsuicidal drug overdose death rate increased 325%.
- From 2003 to 2009, the number of annual deaths in which medical examiner testing showed lethal concentrations of one or more drugs increased 61.0%, from 1,804 to 2,905, and the death rate increased 47.5%.
- From 2003 to 2009, the death rate for prescription drugs increased 84.2%. The greatest increase was observed in the death rate from oxycodone (264.6%), followed by alprazolam, also known as Xanax, (233.8%) and methadone (79.2%).
- By 2009, the number of deaths involving prescription drugs was four times the number involving illicit drugs.
- Approximately 8 Floridians die each day from prescription drug overdose.
Source: CDC; Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 7/8/2011