Drug Overdose Deaths Hit All-Time Record Before Coronavirus

The U.S. experienced a record number of drug overdose deaths in 2019, according to newly released federal data, and addiction specialists warn the coronavirus pandemic has only worsened the crisis.

There were 70,980 deaths from overdoses reported in 2019, which tops the nation’s previous yearly record of 70,699 deaths in 2017, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday.

Preliminary data for 2020 show overdose rates are rising in the U.S. by as much as 16.6% compared with 2019. While death data isn’t yet available, it’s likely that the increase in overdoses will lead to an uptick ...