The U.S. Has the Highest Overdose Death Rate of Any Wealthy Nation (Smithsonian)

Smithsonian featured research by Jessica Ho of the USC Leonard Davis School about global drug overdose death rates and how the United States compares to other high-income countries. “While the United States is not alone in experiencing increases in drug overdose mortality, the magnitude of the differences in levels of drug overdose mortality is staggering,” Ho said. Her study shows American overdose death rates are 3.5 times higher, on average, than those of 17 other wealthy countries, and that drug overdose mortality is widening the life expectancy gap between the United States and its peer countries.