Report: Deaths due to fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine on rise

The number of drug overdose deaths involving heroin or methamphetamine more than tripled between 2011 and 2016 to 4,571 and 6,762 per year, respectively, while deaths involving cocaine nearly doubled between 2014 and 2016 to 11,316 per year, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Total deaths due to drug overdoses increased 54 percent between 2011 and 2016 to 63,632 per year, with fentanyl surpassing heroin as the leading cause in 2016. The findings highlight the importance of reporting the specific drugs involved in drug overdose deaths on death certificates, the authors said.