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 drugs are involved in US overdose deaths?
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are on the chart's page.
In the 12 months ending May 2026, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were involved in 33,959 US overdose deaths, more than any other drug, followed by methamphetamine and other stimulants (23,939) and cocaine (18,911). Many deaths involve more than one drug and count once for each, so the bars add up to more than the total number of overdose deaths. The counts are provisional, and the latest months are slightly undercounted while investigations finish.
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, Provisional drug overdose death counts (Public domain (U.S. government work)) · Data as of May 31, 2026
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