Routes of Drug Use Among Drug Overdose Deaths 2020-2022

The percentage of drug overdose deaths with evidence of smoking increased sharply in all U.S. regions from 2020 to 2022. By late 2022, among decedents with information on route of drug use, more than three fourths had evidence of a noninjection route, highlighting the diversification of methods through which they used drugs.

The percentage and number of deaths with evidence of injection decreased across regions and drug categories. Observed decreases might reflect transitions to noninjection routes and response to public health efforts to reduce injection drug use because of its risk for overdose and infectious disease transmission.