Chart assignment
Charts to read and discuss
Read each chart, then answer its questions. Every chart shows its source and date; open it for a table of the numbers and the data to download.
Chart 1 of 1 · Health
Which states have the highest drug overdose death rates?
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In the 12 months through June 2025, Alaska had the highest drug overdose death rate, 43.6 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by New Mexico (41.9) and West Virginia (41.5). Nebraska had the lowest, 8.3, and the US rate was 20.8. Rates are age-adjusted, so states with older or younger populations compare fairly, and they are provisional.
Questions to discuss
- In one sentence of your own, what does this chart show?
- Find the biggest change or difference in the chart. What might explain it?
- Who collected these numbers, and how recent are they? What else would you want to know before drawing a conclusion?
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Quarterly provisional estimates of mortality (Public domain (U.S. government work)) · Data as of Jun 30, 2025
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