Citation

Warner MA, Chen L, Makuc DM, Anderson RN, Miniño AM. NCHS Data Brief 2011; 81(81): 1-8.

Affiliation

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, United States National Center for Health Statistics)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

22617462

Abstract

KEY FINDINGS: Data from the National Vital Statistics System Mortality File In 2008, poisoning became the leading cause of injury death in the United States and nearly 9 out of 10 poisoning deaths are caused by drugs. During the past three decades, the number of drug poisoning deaths increased sixfold from about 6,100 in 1980 to 36,500 in 2008. During the most recent decade, the number of drug poisoning deaths involving opioid analgesics more than tripled from about 4,000 in 1999 to 14,800 in 2008. Opioid analgesics were involved in more than 40% of all drug poisoning deaths in 2008, up from about 25% in 1999. In 2008, the drug poisoning death rate was higher for males, people aged 45-54 years, and non-Hispanic white and American Indian or Alaska Native persons than for females and those in other age and racial and ethnic groups.

Language: en