Meth Biggest Overdose Killer in Some States, New Report Says

Packets of fentanyl, mostly in powder form, and methamphetamine, which U.S. Customs and Border Protection say they seized from a truck crossing into Arizona from Mexico, on display during a news conference at the Port of Nogales, Ariz., on Jan. 31, 2019. U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Reuters

Overdose deaths in 2017 from the drugs fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin rank highest in the Eastern United States, while higher rates of drug overdose deaths involving methamphetamine were prevalent in the Western part of the nation.

Using 2017 figures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on Oct. 25 (pdf) focusing on the geographic breakdown of deaths by drugs, their findings provide critical regional differences to guide local prevention and policy efforts.