Ohio among states with highest drug overdose mortality rates, study finds

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio is among the top 10 states with the highest drug overdose mortality rates in the country, according to a recent study.

The Georgia-based firm Bader Scott Injury Lawyers analyzed drug overdose mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sourced from 2018 through 2022. Researchers found the average number of deaths annually per 100,000 residents in each state, to discover which had the highest mortality rates.

Ohio came in sixth place, seeing an average of 40.8 fatal drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents each year. This number is 48% above the national average of 27.5, according to the study. The Buckeye State saw an average of 4,795 overdose deaths annually, with fatalities increasing from 3,980 in 2018 to 5,397 in 2021 -- a 35% surge.

The state with the highest rate of overdose deaths in the country was West Virginia, which had a mortality rate of 65.9 deaths per 100,000 residents. Completing the top five was Delaware (47.3), Tennessee (42.2), Kentucky (42) and Maryland (41.8). 

"These states have been particularly hard-hit by the opioid epidemic, facing challenges with prescription painkillers, heroin, and increasingly, synthetic opioids like fentanyl,” a spokesperson with the law firm said. “A combination of socioeconomic factors, healthcare access limitations, and geographic challenges has created perfect conditions for this crisis across these regions.”

The study said combating the country's opioid epidemic requires comprehensive interventions, including “expanded access to addiction treatment services, increased availability of overdose-reversing medications like naloxone, and strengthening prevention efforts targeting vulnerable communities."