In the past few years the number of deaths from cocaine overdose has risen in the United States, with almost ****** such deaths in 2022. Deaths involving cocaine are more common among males than females, with deaths among males more than double that of females in 2022. It is important to note that many overdose deaths involving cocaine also involve the use of other drugs, in particular opioids, which may contribute to death. Cocaine use Cocaine is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs in the United States. As of 2022, over ** million people had used cocaine in their lifetime, an increase from **** million in 2009. Furthermore, almost *** million people in the U.S. used cocaine in the past year as of 2022. Cocaine use among teens The lifetime prevalence of cocaine use among high school students in the U.S. has decreased in recent years. As of 2022, around *** percent of high school students stated they had used cocaine in their lifetime. Nevertheless, around **** percent of high school students state that cocaine is “fairly easy” or “very easy” to obtain.

A. SUMMARY This dataset includes unintentional drug overdose death rates by race/ethnicity by year. This dataset is created using data from the California Electronic Death Registration System (CA-EDRS) via the Vital Records Business Intelligence System (VRBIS). Substance-related deaths are identified by reviewing the cause of death. Deaths caused by opioids, methamphetamine, and cocaine are included. Homicides and suicides are excluded. Ethnic and racial groups with fewer than 10 events are not tallied separately for privacy reasons but are included in the “all races” total.

Unintentional drug overdose death rates are calculated by dividing the total number of overdose deaths by race/ethnicity by the total population size for that demographic group and year and then multiplying by 100,000. The total population size is based on estimates from the US Census Bureau County Population Characteristics for San Francisco, 2022 Vintage by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin.

These data differ from the data shared in the Preliminary Unintentional Drug Overdose Death by Year dataset since this dataset uses finalized counts of overdose deaths associated with cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids only.

B. HOW THE DATASET IS CREATED This dataset is created by copying data from the Annual Substance Use Trends in San Francisco report from the San Francisco Department of Public Health Center on Substance Use and Health.

C. UPDATE PROCESS This dataset will be updated annually, typically at the end of the year.

D. HOW TO USE THIS DATASET N/A

E. RELATED DATASETS Overdose-Related 911 Responses by Emergency Medical Services Preliminary Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths San Francisco Department of Public Health Substance Use Services

F. CHANGE LOG

• 12/16/2024 - Updated with 2023 data. Asian/Pacific Islander race/ethnicity group was changed to Asian.
• 12/16/2024 - Past year totals by race/ethnicity were revised after obtaining accurate race/ethnicity for some decedents that were previously marked as “unknown” race/ethnicity.

In 2023, it was estimated that over ** million people in the United States had used cocaine at some point in their life. The number of people in the United States who stated they had used cocaine in the past month has fluctuated over the past decade, but over *** million people reported they had used cocaine in the past month as of 2023. Cocaine use among teens The percentage of U.S. students in grades *, **, and ** that had used cocaine in their lifetime has gradually decreased since 1999. At that time, around *** percent of students stated they had used cocaine in their lifetime, while in 2021 just *** percent of students said so. Perhaps unsurprisingly, perceived availability of cocaine among **** graders has also decreased over the past couple decades, with about ** percent of **** graders stating cocaine was “fairly easy” or “very easy” to get in 2021, compared to almost ** percent who reported it was easy to get in 1990. The most common illicit drugs U.S. students in grades *, **, and ** reported having used in their lifetime were marijuana, inhalants, and hallucinogens such as LSD and mushrooms. Deaths from cocaine In 2020, there were ****** drug poisoning deaths involving cocaine in the United States. The number of overdose deaths involving cocaine has increased significantly over the past few years as part of the ongoing opioid epidemic. Although, it is possible to die of an overdose just from using cocaine, many overdose deaths in the U.S. that involved cocaine also involved the use of opioids. The rate of overdose deaths involving cocaine is almost ***** times higher among men than women, but both have seen increases in the rate of overdose death in recent years. Considering race and ethnicity, the rate of overdose deaths involving cocaine is by far highest among black, non-Hispanics and lowest among Asian/Pacific Islander, non-Hispanics.

In 2023, around 72,776 people in the United States died from a drug overdose that involved fentanyl. This was the second-highest number of fentanyl overdose deaths ever recorded in the United States, and a significant increase from the number of deaths reported in 2019. Fentanyl overdoses are now the driving force behind the opioid epidemic, accounting for the majority of overdose deaths in the United States. What is fentanyl? Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid similar to morphine, but more powerful. It is a prescription drug but is also manufactured illegally and is sometimes mixed with other illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine, often without the user’s knowledge. The potency of fentanyl makes it very addictive and puts users at a high risk for overdose. Illegally manufactured fentanyl has become more prevalent in the United States in recent years, leading to a huge increase in drug overdose deaths. In 2022, the rate of drug overdose death involving fentanyl was 22.7 per 100,000 population, compared to a rate of just one per 100,000 population in the year 2013. Fentanyl overdoses by gender and race/ethnicity As of 2022, the rate of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl in the United States is over two times higher among men than women. Rates of overdose death involving fentanyl were low for both men and women until around the year 2014 when they began to quickly increase, especially for men. In 2022, there were around 19,880 drug overdose deaths among women that involved fentanyl compared to 53,958 such deaths among men. At that time, the rate of fentanyl overdose deaths was highest among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Natives and lowest among non-Hispanic Asians. However, from the years 2014 to 2018, non-Hispanic whites had the highest fentanyl overdose death rates.

In 2021/2022, the states with the highest share of people who had used cocaine in the past year were Colorado, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In Colorado, around 3.06 percent of the population were estimated to have used cocaine in the past year at that time, compared to the U.S. average of 1.95 percent. The states with the lowest past-year cocaine consumption rates were New Hampshire and Wyoming. Cocaine use in the United States As of 2022, cocaine was the second most used illicit drug in the United States, behind marijuana. At that time around 42.2 million people in the U.S. had used cocaine at least once in their lifetime. In comparison, around 29.5 million people reported using LSD in their lifetime and 22.1 million had used ecstasy. In 2022, almost 5.2 million people were estimated to have used cocaine in the past year. How many people in the U.S. die from cocaine every year? The number of drug poisoning deaths involving cocaine has increased significantly over the past couple decades. In 2021, there were around 24,486 overdose deaths involving cocaine, compared to just 3,800 in the year 1999. However, it is important to note that many overdose deaths involving cocaine also involve other drugs, namely opioids. The increase in overdose deaths involving cocaine is directly related to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States. Rates of overdose death involving cocaine are twice as high for men than women, but death rates for both men and women have increased in recent years.

The National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) collects data on patient care in hospital-based settings to describe patterns of health care delivery and utilization in the United States. Settings currently include inpatient and emergency departments (ED). From this collection, the NHCS contributes data that may inform emerging national health threats such as the current opioid public health emergency. The 2022 - 2024 NHCS are not yet fully operational so it is important to note that the data presented here are preliminary and not nationally representative. The data are from 24 hospitals submitting inpatient and 23 hospitals submitting ED Uniform Bill (UB)-04 administrative claims from October 1, 2022–September 30, 2024. Even though the data are not nationally representative, they can provide insight into the use of opioids and other overdose drugs. The NHCS data is submitted from various types of hospitals (e.g., general/acute, children’s, etc.) and can show results from a variety of indicators related to drug use, such as overall drug use, comorbidities, and drug and polydrug overdose. NHCS data can also be used to report on patient conditions within the hospital over time.

In England and Wales, the number of deaths as a result of cocaine use has been increasing significantly over the last 25 years. In 1993, there were only eleven deaths due to cocaine use in England and Wales, by 2023 the number of deaths had risen 1,118. The UK has the highest share of users in Europe In 2019, the United Kingdom had the highest prevalence of cocaine users in Europe at 2.7 percent. This was followed by Spain and the Netherlands which both had around two percent of individuals using cocaine in this period. Age of cocaine users in the UK When broken down by age, the highest prevalence of cocaine users in England and Wales can be found in the youngest age groups. Almost over six percent of those aged 15 to 24 years used cocaine in 2018, and 4.6 percent in the above age group, 25 to 34 years, used in the same year. Additionally, since 2010 the share of school children who have taken cocaine in England has increased.

Accuracy: Data are from the "Weekly Update on Suspect Drug-Related Deaths in Ontario, by PHU Region" published weekly by the OCCO. Data are preliminary and subject to change.Suspect-drug related deaths include deaths where the preliminary investigation by the investigating coroner indicated: drugs were found at the scene, substance use equipment found at the scene, history of drug abuse, history of naloxone use, physical sign of drug use, positional asphyxia, unresponsive with snoring prior to death, or preliminary findings from autopsy indicate a suspected drug intoxication.Suspect-drug related deaths exclude deaths associated with trauma and medical assistance in dying cases. Investigations of suspect-drug related deaths may take several months, with identification of a number of death types, including: (1) opioid; (2) non-opioid acute drug toxicity, or (3) natural deaths (e.g., cardiac events), with different manners of death (natural, suicide, accident).When deaths initially thought to be drug related are determined to be natural deaths, this death is not removed from the preliminary suspected drug related death count to maintain comparable baseline data for the most recent months. Geographic regions are assigned based primarily on location of incident, however due to delays in data entry, may not yet be assigned for some recent deaths. Update Frequency: Weekly

Attributes:Week Starting on Monday – first date of the week, starting on Monday and ending on Sunday, when the death occurred. Number of suspected drug overdose deaths in Ottawa – number of suspected drug overdose deaths that occurred in Ottawa Contact: Ottawa Public Health Epidemiology Team

West Virginia is currently the state with the highest drug overdose death rate in the United States, with ** deaths per 100,000 population in 2022. Although West Virginia had the highest drug overdose death rate at that time, California was the state where the most people died from drug overdose. In 2022, around ****** people in California died from a drug overdose. The main perpetrator Opioids account for the majority of all drug overdose deaths in the United States. Opioids include illegal drugs such as heroin, legal prescription drugs like oxycodone, and illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs like fentanyl. The abuse of opioids has increased in recent years, leading to an increased number of drug overdose deaths. The death rate from heroin overdose hit an all-time high of *** per 100,000 population in 2016 and 2017, but has decreased in recent years. Now, illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids such as fentanyl account for the majority of opioid overdose deaths in the United States. Opioid epidemic The sharp rise in overdose deaths from opioids have led many to declare the United States is currently experiencing an opioid epidemic or opioid crisis. The causes of this epidemic are complicated but involve a combination of a rise in dispensed prescriptions, irresponsible marketing from pharmaceutical companies, a lack of physician-patient communication, increased social acceptance of prescription drugs, and an increased supply of cheap and potent heroin on the streets.

The largest amount of federal drug control spending was reported for FY 2023 with some 44.2 billion U.S. dollars. The requested funding 2025 is slightly higher. This statistic depicts the total federal drug control spending in the United States from FY 2012 to FY 2025, in million U.S. dollars.

U.S. drug control spending

In the United States, around half of the requested budget for federal drug control spending in 2025 was requested for treatment of substance use disorders; the remaining budget was distributed amongst various governmental departments for prevention, interdiction, and law enforcement. In particular, the largest amount of drug control treatment funding in 2024 within the Department of Health and Human Services was spent by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, followed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Drug control and the opioid epidemic

The misuse of prescription drugs and the opioid epidemic are a major focus of U.S. drug control strategies and spending. In the U.S., the top controlled prescription drugs distributed are hydrocodone and oxycodone, both potentially addictive opioid analgesics that can be misused and sold illegally. In 2010-2019, efforts to reduce illegal sales of opioid narcotics in the U.S. have managed to reduce the amount of opioids diverted from the legal market by over half. Unfortunately, misusing opioids and synthetic variants such as heroin can be life-threatening; death rates due to opioid overdoses are continuing to rise.

In 2023, it was estimated that around 507 thousand people in the United States used crack in the past month. Crack cocaine is the solid form of cocaine, and it is typically smoked to give an instant but short euphoric high. Crack is highly addictive and a rise in its use in the 1980s and early 1990s was associated with an increase in crime and violence in parts of the United States as well as stricter drug policies and an increase in incarceration rates. How many people have used crack? It is estimated that as of 2023, around 9.9 million people in the United States had used crack in their lifetime. However, the use of cocaine, the powder form of crack that is usually snorted but can also be injected, is much more common than crack. It is estimated that over 42 million people have used cocaine in their lifetime, making it the second most-used illicit drug in the United States. Marijuana is by far the most used illicit drug in the United States. Opioids: The newest drug epidemic Although the United States experienced a crack epidemic in the 1980s and early 1990s, crack is no longer the most feared drug in the country. Opioids now account for the vast majority of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. with the country currently experiencing what has been called an opioid epidemic. In 2021, there were just over 80,400 deaths due to opioid overdose in the United States, the highest number ever recorded. Although the origins of the opioid epidemic lie in misrepresentation and over prescription of opioids by pharmaceutical companies and physicians, illegally manufactured fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid, now accounts for most opioid overdose deaths.

In 2023, there were a total of 8,606 deaths in Canada due to opioid overdose, with around 82 percent of these deaths involving fentanyl. This statistic shows the share of deaths from opioid overdose in Canada from 2016 to 2023 that involved select drugs.

In 2022, the autonomous community with the highest registered fatalities due to accidental drug overdose in Spain was Andalusia with 190 deaths. The total number of deaths throughout Spain due to this cause amounted to 1,070 that year, which represents an increase over previous years.

The number of drug-related deaths in Sweden decreased in 2023 compared to the previous year, and amounted to around 9.4 deaths per hundred thousand inhabitants. Higher death figures were among men, at 11.55 deaths per hundred thousand inhabitants compared to 7.27 among women. Most deaths from opioids According to the Public Health Agency in Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten), the most common cause of death is overdosing, and in almost all cases from the use of opiates (types of opioids). Opioid users were the most common drug treatment entrants for specialized drug treatment care in Sweden in 2017. The gender distribution among these entrants consisted of 67 percent men and 33 percent women. Cannabis use is the most common drug use Opioids are the most common cause of drug-related deaths, but cannabis is the most commonly used drug. In a survey from 2018 on cannabis use, seven percent of women and 11 percent of men aged between 16 and 29 years stated that they had used cannabis within the last twelve months.

In 2023, it was estimated that around *** million people in the United States had used ecstasy, also known as MDMA or Molly, in the past year. MDMA is a synthetic drug that produces feelings of pleasure and emotional warmth, as well as increased empathy, energy, and sense of well-being. MDMA may also cause negative effects such as nausea, jaw clenching, chills, and disorganized thoughts, but deaths from MDMA overdose are rare. MDMA use in the United States As of 2023, around **** million people in the United States had used MDMA at some point in their lifetime. Furthermore, around *** thousand people reported using MDMA in the past month. Although MDMA gained popularity as a club drug, it is now used by a wider range of people for different reasons. However, it’s use among high school students is still relatively rare. As of 2023, only *** percent of U.S. students in grades 8, 10, and 12 reported that they had used MDMA in their lifetime. In comparison, around **** percent of students said they had used marijuana in their lifetime. MDMA as therapy In recent years there has been increased interest in using psychedelic drugs such as MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin to treat mental disorders. The use of these substances for mental health treatment is known as psychedelic therapy. Clinical trials are now being run to investigate the use of MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and alcohol use disorder. From 2000 to 2022, there were ** clinical trials worldwide in phase two involving MDMA to treat PTSD.

Deaths related to cannabis use in England and Wales amounted to 32 in 2023. This was the highest annual amount in the past 30 years. The number of cannabis-related deaths was lowest in 2011,at seven deaths, and since 2014 the annual number of fatalities has remained above twenty. Use of cannabisAccording to a survey, over 30 percent of the English and Welsh public admitted they had consumed cannabis as of 2023. Prevalence of cannabis use in the previous twelve months, however, was at just under eight percent. Generally, cannabis was not regarded to be as dangerous as other illegal or even legal drugs by the public. Over a third of surveyed British individuals considered cannabis to be not harmful, compared to only four percent who thought tobacco is not harmful. Caught green handedIn the period 2022/23, cannabis was by far the most common drug seized by the police and border force in England and Wales. Cannabis was seized over 140 thousand times, with the next highest number of seizures involving cocaine at 19 thousand. Although, the majority of the British public support a policy change regarding the legal status of cannabis. As of 2024, 56 percent of surveyed Brits believed cannabis and other soft drugs should be legalized or decriminalized.

In 2022, Ireland had the highest incidence of drug-induced deaths in Europe at ** per million population. This was followed by Estonia at ** deaths per million population, and ** deaths per million in Norway. On the other hand, in Romania, there were only * drug-induced deaths per million population in 2022. Number of drug-induced deaths There were nearly *** thousand drug-related deaths reported in the EU in 2022. There was a steady increase in the number of deaths in the EU from only *** thousand cases in 2013. When combined with Turkey and Norway, the number of drug-induced deaths in 2022 nearly reached ***** thousand. This was the highest number of drug-related deaths recorded in the given period. Drug deaths by gender and age In 2022, 77 percent of drug-induced deaths reported in the EU were attributed to men. Half of the deaths that occurred among men were among those aged between 25 and 44 years. Similarly, the largest share of female deaths due to drug use was also reported in the same age group.