--- title: Drug Overdose Deaths Top 10 description: The latest data on overdose deaths shows that opioids and cocaine continue to claim the most lives in the U.S. canonical: https://time.com/4607935/these-are-the-10-most-deadly-drugs/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-20T16:47:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T14:19:27.000Z article:section: Health og:title: These Are the 10 Most Deadly Drugs og:description: The latest data on overdose deaths shows that opioids and cocaine continue to claim the most lives in the U.S. og:url: https://time.com/4607935/these-are-the-10-most-deadly-drugs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta29d597aab8a42bb/6988b391656a3f3e52bce356/gettyimages-169093207.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: PIlls spilling out of prescription bottle og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These Are the 10 Most Deadly Drugs twitter:description: The latest data on overdose deaths shows that opioids and cocaine continue to claim the most lives in the U.S. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta29d597aab8a42bb/6988b391656a3f3e52bce356/gettyimages-169093207.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These Are the 10 Most Deadly Drugs ## Video: Heroin Is Being Laced With a Terrifying New Substance: What to Know About Carfentanil [Watch (HLS stream): Heroin Is Being Laced With a Terrifying New Substance: What to Know About Carfentanil](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GR4wbsYB.m3u8) (0:45)  _Published 2016-09-12. A drug so powerful that it’s used to sedate elephants is finding a new, illicit use laced into heroin, potentially contributing to hundreds of overdoses in the last several weeks._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:19 PM UTCPublished: Dec 20, 2016 4:47 PM UTC  Bill Diodato—Getty Images  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:19 PM UTCPublished: Dec 20, 2016 4:47 PM UTC From 2010 to 2014, the number of people dying from drug overdoses in the U.S. increased by 23%, according to [data from the National Vital Statistics System](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr65/nvsr65%5F10.pdf), which tracks cause of death from death certificates. The top 10 drugs responsible fell into one of three main categories: opioids (which includes heroin, painkillers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and fentanyl as well as methadone, which is used to treat heroin addiction); benzodiazapines (like alprazolam, which is used to treat anxiety, often under the brand name Xanax, as well as other drugs that treat depression, insomnia and nausea, among other conditions); and stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine. In order, for 2014, the [top 10 drugs](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr65/nvsr65%5F10.pdf) involved in lethal overdoses were: • Heroin • Cocaine • Oxycodone • Alprazolam • Fentanyl • Morphine • Methamphetamine • Methadone • Hydrocodone • Diazepam Analyzing the specific breakdown of drug overdose deaths, the researchers at the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics found that deaths from heroin overdose tripled during the five year period, and deaths from methamphetamine abuse more than doubled. Deaths involving fentanyl, a commonly abused drug for treating pain, also doubled — in just one year, from 2013 to 2014. The numbers reflect the increasing problem of [opioid addiction in the U.S.](http://time.com/4527209/2016-election-opioid-addiction/?iid=sr-link1), a concern that prompted President Obama to sign into law the [Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act](http://time.com/4204268/president-obama-heroin-epidemic/?iid=sr-link4), which would provide $1.1 billion in treatment programs for addicts to reduce overdose deaths. However, Congress still hasn’t approved the budget to fund the legislation, which would boost substance abuse treatment in outpatient programs and with [medications](http://time.com/4276369/new-way-to-treat-opiate-addiction/?iid=sr-link2) like methadone and [buprenorphine](http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/05/hazelden-introduces-antiaddiction-medications-in-recovery-for-first-time/?iid=sr-link4), and allow more doctors to prescribe the opioid treatment drugs. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4607935/these-are-the-10-most-deadly-drugs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4607935/these-are-the-10-most-deadly-drugs/"},"headline":"These Are the 10 Most Deadly Drugs","datePublished":"2016-12-20T16:47:59.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T14:19:27.000Z","description":"Overdose deaths are up 23% in four years. 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