Drug overdose deaths in Kentucky rose nearly 15% last year; fentanyl involved in 73% of deaths, methamphetamine in 48%

Kentucky Health News map from state data; click on it to enlarge (see note on table below)

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

Drug-overdose deaths in Kentucky rose 14.6 percent in Kentucky in 2021, according to the state's annual report released Monday.

“The drug epidemic is not a Kentucky issue or political issue, but a nationwide issue that is affecting everyone and every state,” Van Ingram, executive director of the state Office of Drug Control Policy, said in a news release. “Our focus over this next year will be on increasing access to clinical care for those suffering from an addiction and offering more harm reduction measures.”

The state recorded 2,250 overdose deaths in 2021. That was 286 more OD deaths than the 1,964 reported in 2020, when the increase from the previous year was 54%. 

Estill County had the highest rate of fatal overdoses in 2021, 148 per 100,000 residents (adjusted for age of the population). It was followed by Gallatin, 146; Perry, 142; Rowan, 131; and Knott, 123. The report cautions that counties with fewer than 20 OD deaths per year, as was the case in all but Estill, Perry and Rowan, are unstable and should be interpreted with caution.

Kentucky Health News table, from state data; yellow counties
had fewer than 20 overdose deaths, so their rates are less reliable; 
rates were not released for those with fewer than 10 OD deaths.

The report does not give rates for counties with fewer than 10 overdose deaths, nor the actual number of in counties with 5 or fewer OD deaths. The number of counties with 10 or more OD deaths rose to 57 in 2021 from 44 in 2020. 

Jefferson County, the state's most populous, again had the most resident overdose deaths of any county, 569. That was an increase of 11% from the 512 recorded in 2020. The county's OD-death rate was 77 per 100,000, well above the statewide rate of 52.9 per 100,000.

Toxicology reports show that fentanyl was involved in 1,639 of the overdose deaths, or about 73% of them. That was an increase of 16% from the 1,413 overdose deaths involving fentanyl in 2020.

Methamphetamine was found in 1,075 of the overdose victims, or about 48%. This is an increase of 33% from the 809 OD deaths involving methamphetamine in 2020. 

Heroin was involved in 93 of the 2021 overdose deaths, a decrease from 191 in 2020. Also seeing decreases from the prior year were morphine, detected in 309 cases; acetyl fentanyl (256);  and alprazolam (211), among others. 

Oxycodone saw a slight decrease from the prior year, having been identified in 198 drug overdose deaths in 2021, down from 201 cases in 2020. 

Some of the drugs that saw increases from the prior year's toxicology reports were amphetamines, in 945 cases; gabapentin (503); THC (476); cocaine (300); hydrocodone (199); tramadol (129) and diazepam (85). 

The age group in which Kentucky overdose deaths are most common continues to be 35 to 44. Next is 45-54, which ranked third in the 2020 report and traded places with the 25-34 range in this year's report. Ranking fourth were the 55-64-year-olds. 

Over the years, Kentucky has supported  programs, legislation and research to battle substance-use disorder, along with funding support. 

“Here in the commonwealth, we have been fighting a long battle against the opioid epidemic. This public-health crisis has torn families apart and taken the lives of far too many Kentuckians, far too soon,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in the release. “Every day we must work together to fund recovery programs and treatment options so that we can continue to address this scourge and get our people the help they need.”

Data for the report was compiled with data from the Kentucky Office of the Medical Examiner, the Kentucky Injury Prevention & Research Center, and the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics.

People who are struggling with drug abuse or who are concerned about a family member's substance use can search for treatment providers at www.findhelpnowky.org. The KY Help Call Center (1-833-859-4357) also provides information on treatment options an open slots among treatment providers. The Kentucky State Police has also launched the Angel Initiative, which allows anyone with a substance-use disorder seeking treatment to visit a KSP post where they are directed to treatment.