Tennessee’s opioid-related death rate was ranked the fifth highest among all 50 U.S. states in 2023, a new study conducted by the law firm group White Law PLLC shows.
The study shows that a total of 79,355 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2023 – a 12 percent increase from 2022 and the highest recorded rate in history, averaging 217 deaths per day.
Fentanyl accounted for approximately 75 percent of the total deaths in 2023.
Tennessee recorded a total of 2,930 opioid-related deaths in 2023, averaging 39.6 deaths per 100,000 people – the fifth highest in the nation.
Of the 2,930 opioid-related deaths in the Volunteer State, 63 percent involved fentanyl.
Noting how opioid overdoses cost the U.S. over $1.5 trillion annually, the study said Tennessee contributed $6.7 billion in economic losses with its fifth highest overdose rate.
West Virginia led the nation in opioid-related deaths in 2023 as the state experienced 1,184 deaths, averaging 81.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Of West Virginia’s 1,184 deaths, 79 percent involved fentanyl.
As the most populated state, California contributed the most to the nation’s total opioid related deaths by reporting 7,887 deaths, averaging 28.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
“USA is facing an escalating public health emergency. Despite efforts to restrict opioid prescriptions, overdose deaths continue to rise, driven by fentanyl and polydrug use. The data makes one thing clear—prescription limits alone are not enough. We need a comprehensive approach that expands addiction treatment, harm reduction strategies, and law enforcement efforts against illicit drug trafficking,” a spokesperson for White Law PLLC said in an emailed statement to The Tennessee Star.
White Law PLLC’s study was created by using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the American Medical Association’s Opioid Prescription Trends Report.
Tennessee’s opioid-related death rate comes as the state also experiences a high suicide rate when compared to the rest of the nation.
In 2022, 1,245 Tennesseans died by suicide, increasing from 2021’s 1,222 recorded suicide deaths and 2020’s 1,220 recorded suicide deaths.
The U.S. suicide rate increased 35 percent from 1999 to 2018 before declining by 5 percent through 2020, according to data by the CDC.
Suspected suicide attempts began increasing to higher-than-usual levels during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
