Co-involvement of Opioids in Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Cocaine and Psychostimulants, 2011–2021

Abstract

Drug overdose deaths involving cocaine and psychostimulants with abuse potential (that is, drugs such as methamphetamine, amphetamine, and methylphenidate) have risen in the past several years (1-4). A recent report highlighted that drug overdose deaths involving cocaine rose 22% and drug overdose deaths involving psychostimulants rose 33% from 2020 through 2021 (1). By the end of 2021, the report counted 24,486 drug overdose deaths involving cocaine and 32,537 drug overdose deaths involving psychostimulants (1,5). This report presents trends from 2011 through 2021 in death rates involving cocaine and psychostimulants, with and without opioid co-involvement, and by U.S. Census region in 2021.