Delaware heroin death rate in 2016 9th highest in nation

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Heroin seizure.

 

Delaware saw a sharp increase in  drug overdose deaths, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  report.

Nationwide, this  represents a 50 percent increase over five years and 225 percent increase since 1999.

Delaware ranked ninth in the rate of overdose deaths, with neighboring Maryland and Pennsylvania also seeing high numbers.

Trust for America’s Health’s analysis of the data found that:

·   Overdose rates increased in 40 states and Washington, D.C. between 2015 and 2016.

·   Seventeen states had increases of 25 percent or more. The largest increases were in Washington, D.C. (109 percent), Maryland (59 percent) and Florida (46 percent). Rates decreased in nine states.

·  The highest 2016 drug death rates were in West Virginia (52.0 per 100,000 deaths), Ohio (39.1 per 100,000 deaths) and New Hampshire (39.0 per 100,000 deaths).

·   In 2016, 24 states and Washington, D.C. had rates above 20 per 100,000 deaths.  In 2005, no state had a rate above 20 per 100,000 deaths and only five states had rates above 15 per 100,000 deaths.

Around two-thirds of these deaths were opioid-related.  The increase was largely driven by the continued escalation of deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic.

Heroin-related deaths totaled around 15,500 and there were 14,500 prescription painkiller deaths. Death from all other drugs other than fentanyl and other synthetic opioids only rose by 3 percent.

“The escalating growth of opioid deaths is downright frightening – and it’s getting worse,” said John Auerbach, president and CEO of TFAH. “Every community has been impacted by this crisis and it’s getting lots of headlines, yet we’re not making the investments or taking the actions needed at anywhere near the level needed to turn the tide.”

Below are  overdose death rates by state:

 
State 2015 Drug Overdose Rate

Deaths per 100,000

2016 Drug Overdose Rate

Deaths per 100,000

2016 Rates, Highest to Lowest  Percent change, 2015-2016 2025 Worst Case Scenario Projections

Deaths per 100,000

Alabama 15.7 16.2 35 3% 45.5
Alaska 16.0 16.8 32 5% 46.9
Arizona 19.0 20.3 25 7% 54.0
Arkansas 13.8 14.0 38 1% 38.9
California 11.3 11.2 45 -1% 35.0
Colorado 15.4 16.6 34 8% 44.6
Connecticut 22.1 27.4 12 24% 62.8
Delaware 22.0 30.8 9 40% 60.0
D.C. 18.6 38.8 4 109% 52.7
Florida 16.2 23.7 17 46% 45.4
Georgia 12.7 13.3 39 5% 36.6
Hawaii 11.3 12.8 40 13% 33.4
Idaho 14.2 15.2 36 7% 36.9
Illinois 14.1 18.9 28 34% 39.7
Indiana 19.5 24.0 16 23% 54.0
Iowa 10.3 10.6 47 3% 29.0
Kansas 11.8 11.1 46 -6% 32.7
Kentucky 29.9 33.5 6 12% 82.1
Louisiana 19.0 21.8 22 15% 52.6
Maine 21.2 28.7 11 35% 57.0
Maryland 20.9 33.2 7 59% 59.9
Massachusetts 25.7 33.0 8 28% 74.3
Michigan 20.4 24.4 15 20% 63.7
Minnesota 10.6 12.5 41 18% 32.4
Mississippi 12.3 12.1 42 -2% 33.6
Missouri 17.9 23.6 18 32% 49.2
Montana 13.8 11.7 44 -15% 40.1
Nebraska 6.9 6.4 51 -7% 20.0
Nevada 20.4 21.7 23 6% 59.4
New Hampshire 34.3 39.0 3 14% 88.7
New Jersey 16.3 23.2 19 42% 45.9
New Mexico 25.3 25.2 13 0% 67.5
New York 13.6 18.0 30 32% 41.5
North Carolina 15.8 19.7 26 25% 44.4
North Dakota 8.6 10.6 48 23% 23.4
Ohio 29.9 39.1 2 31% 80.3
Oklahoma 19.0 21.5 24 13% 52.4
Oregon 12.0 11.9 43 -1% 41.2
Pennsylvania 26.3 37.9 5 44% 71.9
Rhode Island 28.2 30.8 10 9% 82.1
South Carolina 15.7 18.1 29 15% 44.2
South Dakota 8.4 8.4 50 0% 22.9
Tennessee 22.2 24.6 14 11% 63.9
Texas 9.4 10.1 49 7% 27.1
Utah 23.4 22.3 20 -5% 60.7
Vermont 16.7 22.2 21 33% 48.3
Virginia 12.4 16.7 33 35% 34.8
Washington 14.7 14.5 37 -1% 45.2
West Virginia 41.5 52.0 1 25% 110.9
Wisconsin 15.5 19.3 27 25% 42.2
Wyoming 16.4 17.6 31 7% 46.1