US Drug Deaths Rose by 21% Over Last Year Causing Drop in US Life Expectancy
US deaths from drug overdoses skyrocketed 21% last year, and for the second straight year dragged down American life expectancy. The government figures put drug deaths at 63,600, up from about 52,000 in 2015. For the first time, the powerful painkiller Fentanyl, and its close opioid cousins, played a bigger role in the deaths than any other legal or illegal drug, surpassing prescription pain pills and heroin. The highest drug death rates were in ages 25 to 54.
