Oregon Joins Nation’s Most Dangerous States for Drug Deaths Amid Opioid Surge
A national survey that analyzed drug overdose deaths across all 50 states ranked Oregon at #10, with 41.71 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents in 2023.
Oregon Drug Deaths Ranked #10 in the US
CPR First Aid, a First aid course training provider, analyzed US drug overdose deaths in all 50 states using the latest 2023 data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a health policy research organization.
The data for each state was measured against each state’s population to determine how many overdose deaths per 100,000 people occurred during the year, to determine which regions face the highest and lowest effects of drug overdoses.
In Oregon, 1,782 total overdose deaths- with 77.7% involving opioids (1,384 cases)- were reported, significantly higher than the national average of 31.51%. Neighboring California’s fatal overdoses were 28.86% and Nevada recorded 39.24%.
West Virginia has the highest mortality rates from drug overdoses, with 77.80 deaths per 100,000 people, significantly higher than the national average. The state recorded 1,377 total fatal drug overdoses in 2023, with 1,184 attributed explicitly to opioids (86%).
Nebraska had the lowest rate of fatal drug overdoses- 172 total fatal overdoses representing just 8.58 deaths per 100,000 people. Opioids accounted for 45.3% of these fatalities, one of the lowest opioid involvement percentages nationwide.
The US states with the highest drug overdose death rates were ranked as follows:
| Rank | State | Deaths per 100,000 | Total Deaths | Opioid Deaths | Opioid Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 77.80 | 1,377 | 1,184 | 86.0% |
| 2 | Tennessee | 50.03 | 3,616 | 2,930 | 81.0% |
| 3 | Delaware | 49.91 | 525 | 457 | 87.0% |
| 4 | Alaska | 48.50 | 359 | 290 | 80.8% |
| 5 | Louisiana | 48.37 | 2,224 | 1,118 | 50.3% |
The US states with the lowest drug overdose death rates in the study were:
| Rank | State | Deaths per 100,000 | Total Deaths | Opioid Deaths | Opioid Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | 8.58 | 172 | 78 | 45.3% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 10.27 | 95 | 48 | 50.5% |
| 3 | Iowa | 14.25 | 462 | 253 | 54.8% |
| 4 | North Dakota | 15.32 | 122 | 87 | 71.3% |
| 5 | Montana | 16.53 | 188 | 129 | 68.6% |
Owena Cleary, Director at CPR First Aid, advised what to do in a suspected opioid overdose:
- Call 911 immediately
- While waiting for emergency services, check if the person is responsive and breathing.
- If the person is unresponsive but breathing, place them in the recovery position on their side to prevent choking.
- If the person isn’t breathing or only gasping, start CPR immediately: Push hard and fast in the center of the chest, allowing the chest to recoil between compressions fully.
Cleary confirmed that many emergency responders do now carry naloxone, but proper CPR can be life-saving in the time before help arrives. Commenting on the findings, she said, “Many lives could be saved if more people knew the signs and basic first aid responses.”