According to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were
an estimated 107,543 fatal drug poisonings in the United States in 2023, a decline of 3 percent
from 2022. This marked the first annual decrease in overall fatal drug poisonings since 2018.
Despite the downward trend in total drug poisonings between 2022 and 2023, synthetic opioids
such as fentanyl continue to account for nearly 70 percent of all fatal drug poisonings in the U.S.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA)
highlights the challenges of addressing the illicit synthetic opioid crisis in the U.S. For example,
illegally manufactured fentanyl can be hidden in other powder drugs, such as cocaine and
heroin, or pressed into fake prescription pills that may look identical to real prescription
medications (e.g., opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines). As a result, individuals who use such
substances may unknowingly ingest fentanyl, increasing the risk of unintentional drug poisoning.
Additionally, the NDTA explained that cartels continue to diversify how they make and market
illicit fentanyl in order to appeal to more groups of individuals who use drugs.
Approximately 2.5 million people live with opioid use disorder in the U.S., yet only one in five
receive treatment. While public awareness about drug use and the benefits of treatment have
improved in recent years, significant individual, social, structural, and legal barriers to treatment
persist, such as availability and coverage of treatment and recovery support services, stigma,
and outdated laws and regulations.