Which drugs are killing Americans? The CDC’s numbers
In 2023, 105,007 Americans died of drug overdoses. Fentanyl was involved in about seven of every ten deaths. Here is what the CDC counted.
Show the numbers as a table
| Drug involved | Deaths, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids | 72,776 |
| Methamphetamine and other psychostimulants* | 34,855 |
| Cocaine, including crack | 29,449 |
| Heroin | 3,984 |
| All drug overdose deaths | 105,007 |
What the numbers mean
- Fentanyl is by far the deadliest drug in America. It was involved in 72,776 deaths in 2023. The DEA says as little as 2 milligrams can kill, and in 2023 DEA lab testing found that 7 out of 10 fentanyl pills seized contained a potentially lethal dose.
- Methamphetamine drives the psychostimulant deaths. The CDC groups meth with other stimulants such as amphetamine and MDMA under “psychostimulants with abuse potential.” The CDC and NIDA say this category is dominated by illicit methamphetamine, often mixed with fentanyl.
- Cocaine and crack were involved in 29,449 deaths, many also involving fentanyl.
- Prescribed Adderall is not a leading killer. The CDC does not publish a separate count for amphetamine medicines taken as prescribed, and there is no public health warning that Adderall prescriptions are fueling the overdose crisis. The DEA’s own warnings about “Adderall” deaths concern counterfeit pills that contain meth or fentanyl instead.
*A note on the psychostimulant category. Because the CDC’s psychostimulant count includes amphetamine, some deaths in that row may involve amphetamine. That includes misused prescriptions and counterfeit “Adderall” pressed with meth. We don’t claim that number is zero. We report the category exactly as the CDC does.
Compare the drugs side by side on the comparison page, or see what the research shows about ADHD medication and lower death rates.