NEW YORK — Drug overdoses rose again last year, driven by surges in deaths from heroin and powerful prescription painkillers, according to new federal statistics.
Overdose deaths in the U.S. surpassed 47,000 — up 7 percent from the previous year.
Many of the deaths were due to a group of powerful opioid painkillers, which have long been the leading cause of fatal overdoses. But the number had been stable recently.
Last year, the count rose to nearly 19,000 deaths, an increase of 16 percent.
Heroin deaths continued to climb, by 28 percent to about 10,500.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the numbers this week. They are based on death certificates.
The federal agency is analyzing the drug numbers to determine what caused last year’s increases, said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden.