US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials say an estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year.

That’s a total the nation has never seen.

Experts say it’s tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply.

Overdose deaths have been rising for more than two decades.

But they accelerated dramatically in the past two years — jumping nearly 30% in the last year alone.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new figures Wednesday.

The numbers for the period from May 2020 to April 2021 aren’t yet final.