U.S. surpasses record 100,000 overdose deaths in 2021

More Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021 than any previous year, a grim milestone in an epidemic that has now claimed 1 million lives in the 21st century, according to federal data released Wednesday.

More than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, up 15 percent from the previous year, according to the figures released by the National Center for Health Statistics. The sobering tally reflects challenges exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic: lost access to treatment, social isolation and a more potent drug supply.

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