This page contains all the visualizations we created for this project, embedded from Tableau. We hope this allow users to view data tags and explore the data more thoroughly.
To read our analyses of these data visualizations, check out our data narrative page.
scroll over the visualization with your mouse to view the data tags.
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Alternative text for "Overdose by Ethnicity" graph
A line graph of U.S. overdose death statistics based on racial demographics for the years 1999 to 2022. Six colors represent six different racial categorizations: American Indian / Native Alaskan (Non-Hispanic), Asian (Non-Hispanic), Black (Non-Hispanic), Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic), and White (Non-Hispanic). The graph values represent number of deaths per 100,000 people in a given population. Note: data for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander only appears starting in 2018, as they were previously counted under the Asian demographic.
In 1999, all lines except for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander start relatively low at below 5 deaths per 100,000. Through 2013, Black and Hispanic populations show little increase, remaining below 5 deaths per 100,000. Through 2013, rates of overdose deaths in White and American Indian / Alaskan Native populations grow steadily, reaching around 10 deaths per 100,000.
Following 2013, all populations experienced significant growth in overdose rates, with the highest death rate reaching nearly 20 deaths per 100,000 White Americans. Another peak is seen in 2020 across all communities, with especially sharp and disproportionate increases in Black and American Indian / Native Alaskan populations. By 2022, Black populations reached rates of over 35 deaths per 100,000 and American Indian / Alaskan Native populations reached rates of over 45 deaths per 100,000.
Through 2022, White and Hispanic populations continued to be affected by increasing overdose deaths, though not as dramatically as Black and American Indian / Native Alaskan Populations. By 2022, Hispanic populations witnessed over 15 deaths per 100,000, while White populations witnessed over 25 deaths per 100,000.
Notably, overdose deaths in Asian populations remained relatively low, at less than 1 death per 100,000 from 1999 until 2013. After 2013, overdoses in Asian communities rose above 1 death per 100,000, and in 2020 rose again to over 2 deaths per 100,000. By 2022, overdose rates in Asian populations climbed to 3 deaths per 100,000.
This graph was created on Tableau and embedded into the website.
Alternative text for "Overdose by Drug Type" graph
An area graph showing U.S. overdose death statistics based on opioid type for the years 1999 to 2022. Three colors indicate three classifications of opioids: 1) synthetic opioids, 2) prescription opioids, and 3) Heroin. The graph values represent number of deaths per 100,000 people across the entire U.S. population.
Synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl).
From 1999 to 2013, synthetic opioids constituted a minority of lethal drug overdoses. After 2013, synthetic opioid overdoes rapidly increased, quickly taking over as the leading cause of opioid overdose deaths at a rate of 9 deaths per 100,000 by 2017. After seeing some stabilization of the synthetic opioid overdose death rate from 2017 to 2019, the rate of synthetic opioid-related deaths skyrocketed in 2020, reaching over 21 deaths per 100,000 by 2021.
Prescription Opioids.
From 1999 to 2010, prescription opioid overdoses comprised the majority of fatal opioid overdoses. Over that time period, prescription opioid overdoses gradually increased from 1.2 deaths per 100,000 in 1999 to 5 deaths per 100,000 in 2010. After 2010, prescription opioid overdoses stabilized at approximately 5 deaths per 100,000, continuing until 2022.
Heroin.
From 1999 to 2010, Heroin overdoses remained relatively low, at less than 1 death per 100,000. Starting in 2010, Heroin overdoses rapidly increased, reaching over 5 deaths per 100,000 in 2016. Following 2016, Heroin overdose rates decreased, reaching less than 2 deaths per 100,000 by 2022.
This graph was created on Tableau and embedded into the website.
Alternative text for "Synthetic Overdoses by Ethnicity" graph
A line graph of U.S. synthetic opioid-related overdose death statistics based on racial demographics for the years 1999 to 2022. Six colors represent six different racial categorizations: American Indian / Native Alaskan (Non-Hispanic), Asian (Non-Hispanic), Black (Non-Hispanic), Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic), and White (Non-Hispanic). The graph values represent number of deaths per 100,000 people in a given population. Note: data for American Indian / Native Alaskan communities began in 2004. Data for Asian communities began in 2011. Data for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander communities began in 2020, as they were previously counted under the Asian demographic.
In 1999, all lines began close to 0, and remained well below 5 deaths per 100,000 until 2013.
Starting in 2013, all populations experienced significant growth in synthetic opioid-related overdose rates, with White, Black, and American Indian / Native Alaskan populations all reaching nearly 15 deaths per 100,000 by 2019.
Another peak is seen in 2020 across all communities, with especially sharp and disproportionate increases in Black and American Indian / Native Alaskan populations. By 2022, Black populations reached rates of nearly 35 deaths per 100,000 and American Indian / Alaskan Native populations reached nearly 45 deaths per 100,000.
Through 2022, White and Hispanic populations continued to be affected by increasing overdose deaths, though not as dramatically as Black and American Indian / Native Alaskan Populations. By 2022, Hispanic populations witnessed over 15 deaths per 100,000, while White populations witnessed around 25 deaths per 100,000.
Notably, overdose deaths in Asian populations remained relatively low, staying well below 5 deaths per 100,000 for the period from 2011 to 2022.
This graph was created on Tableau and embedded into the website.
Alternative text for "Synthetic Opioid Overdose Rate Ages 15-24" graph
A line graph of all U.S. death statistics for overdoses in people ages 15 to 24, for deaths caused by synthetic opioids alone.
In 1999, the synthetic opioid-related death rate was nearly 0 deaths per 100,000. The death rate remained relatively stable until 2013, when synthetic opioid-related deaths began to grow dramatically. By 2017, the death rate was about 6 deaths per 100,000. Growth slowed from 2017 to 2019, but in 2020 the death rate rose dramatically again, reaching a peak of nearly 14 deaths per 100,000 in 2021. Synthetic opioid-related deaths dropped back down to around 12 deaths per 100,000 by 2022.
This graph was created on Tableau and embedded into the website.
Alternative text for "Synthetic Opioid Combinations Overdose Rate Ages 15-24" graph
A line graph of all U.S. death statistics for overdoses in people ages 15 to 24, for deaths caused by synthetic opioids in combination with other drugs. The graph tracks different combination of drugs involved in causing overdose deaths. There are six combination categories: antidepressants and synthetic opioids, benzodiazepines and synthetic opioids, heroin and synthetic opioids, prescription opioids and synthetic opioids, psychostimulants and synthetic opioids, and stimulants and synthetic opioids. From 1999 to 2013, limited data was collected on overdoses caused by antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and stimulants in combination with synthetic opioids. All were at close to 0 deaths per 100,000. Significant changes in the data appeared in 2013.
Starting in 2013, rates of death for all synthetic opioid combinations began to rise, with stimulant-synthetic opioid combinations becoming the number one cause of death among drug combination overdoses by 2017. Stimulant-synthetic opioid overdoses reached a peak of around 4.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2021 before declining in 2022.
The benzodiazepine-synthetic opioid combo reached a peak of approximately 2.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2020. The antidepressant-synthetic opioid combo also reached a peak of approximately 2.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2021. Other drug combinations were less significant, and all were declining by 2022.
This graph was created on Tableau and embedded into the website.
Alternative text for "2017 Synthetic Opioid Combinations Overdose Rate Ages 15-24" pie chart
A pie chart showing the ratio of overdose deaths caused by a combination of synthetic opioids and other drugs in the year 2017. The pie chart ratios are as follows:
Antidepressants + synthetics opioids 3%.
Benzodiazepines + synthetic opioids 19%.
Heroin + synthetic opioids 26%.
Prescription opioids + synthetic opioids 13%.
Psychostimulants + synthetic opioids 10%.
Stimulants + synthetic opioids 29%.
Alternative text for "2022 Synthetic Opioid Combinations Overdose Rate Ages 15-24" graph
A pie chart showing the ratio of overdose deaths caused by a combination of synthetic opioids and other drugs in the year 2022. The pie chart ratios are as follows:
Antidepressants + synthetics opioids 3%.
Benzodiazepines + synthetic opioids 16%.
Heroin + synthetic opioids 4.
Prescription opioids + synthetic opioids 9%.
Psychostimulants + synthetic opioids 24%.
Stimulants + synthetic opioids 44%.