Science and Health

CDC Says More People Are Dying Of Drug Overdoses Than Ever Before

Drug overdose deaths increased 137 percent since 2000, hitting an all-time high in 2014.

CDC Says More People Are Dying Of Drug Overdoses Than Ever Before
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Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. are up by a record-high rate

Drug overdose deaths have increased by 137 percent from 2000 to 2014, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. 

Many of these deaths are from opioid abuse. Prescription drugs like morphine, codeine and illegal heroin made up 61 percent of drug-related deaths in 2014, according to the CDC. (Video via CNBC)

Heroin deaths have more than tripled since 2010, increasing 26 percent from 2013 to 2014. Opioid overdose deaths increased 14 percent from 2013 to 2014. (Video via National Geographic)

In total, a little more than 47,000 people died last year from drug overdoses. (Video via WKYC)

The report also found 14 states that had overdose death increases it deemed "statistically significant" ranging from an 8.3 percent increase in Illinois to a 125 percent increase in North Dakota.

The CDC reports that nearly 7,000 people are treated in emergency care every day from prescription pain killer abuse.