During January 2021–June 2024, 59.0% of overall overdose deaths involved stimulants, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Looking back further, stimulant-involved overdose death rates increased during the time period from 2018 to 2023, the report stated. Cocaine’s rate went from 4.5 per 100,000 population to 8.6 during 2018 to 2023, and the rate for psychostimulants, primarily methamphetamine, went from 3.9 to 10.4 during that time period, the report stated.

Increases in stimulant-involved deaths suggest the need for expanded access to evidence-based treatment, evaluation of medication-based treatment, and treatment for co-occurring substance use disorders, the researchers recommended.

Findings related to overdose deaths that involved stimulants from January 2021 through June 2024 include:

• 43.1% co-involved stimulants and opioids.
• 15.9% involved stimulants and no opioids.
• Persons who died of overdoses involving stimulants and no opioids were older (aged 45 years and older: 66.5%) than those who died of overdoses involving stimulants and opioids (44.2%).
• Persons who died of overdoses involving stimulants and no opioids more frequently had a history of cardiovascular disease (38.7%) than those who died of overdoses involving stimulants and opioids (21.2%).

These findings were presented in Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Stimulants ― United States, January 2018-June 2024, by Lauren J. Tanz, ScD; Kimberly D. Miller, MPH; Amanda T. Dinwiddie, MPH; R. Matt Gladden, Ph.D.; and colleagues for the CDC. The goal was to describe characteristics of stimulant-involved overdose deaths during January 2021 through June 2024, according to the report.

A link to the full text of Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Stimulants ― United States, January 2018-June 2024 is in the OPEN MINDS Circle Library.

For more information, contact: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; 800-232-4636; Email: CDCInfo@cdc.gov; Website: https://www.cdc.gov/