Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kentucky is Ranked Second for Highest Drug Overdose Mortality Rate in the United States in 2021.

Kentucky Overdose Deaths (KY Office of Drug Control Policy)

• In 2021 overdose deaths totaled a record 2,250, a near 15% increase with Jefferson County having the most overdose deaths involving fentanyl with 477 (a near 14% increase)
• Fentanyl was identified in 1,639 drug overdose deaths, representing 72.8% of the total drug overdose deaths, a 16% increase from 2020.

*The top 5 counties for Fentanyl related deaths (2021 Overdose Fatality Report):

– 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.

*The top 5 counties for Methamphetamine detected overdoses (2021 Overdose Fatality Report):

Counts of Substances Identified through Toxicology Testing of Kentucky Resident Drug Overdose Decedents, 2021

Annual Report for Kentucky Resident Drug Overdose Deaths, 2017-2021 (Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center)

Opioid Overdose Deaths, by Race

• For the five-year period from 2017 to 2021, 90.7% of Kentucky resident opioid overdose decedents were white.
• Among black Kentucky residents, the total number of opioid overdose deaths increased by 41.1% (from from 141 deaths to 199 deaths) from 2020 to 2021.
• For the first time since Kentucky began to reliably calculate drug overdose mortality rates, 2021 saw the rate of opioid overdose deaths of black residents (50.2 deaths per 100,000 residents) surpass that of white residents (42.7) 

Opioid Overdose Deaths, by Sex

• From 2017 to 2021, 66.1% of opioid overdose deaths among Kentucky residents were men.
• Among male Kentucky residents, the total number of opioid overdose deaths increased by 8.7% (from 1,106 deaths to 1,202 deaths) from 2020 to 2021
• Among female Kentucky residents, opioid overdose deaths increased by 20.7% (from 488 deaths to 589 deaths) from 2020 to 2021

Drug Overdose Deaths by Age Group

• The number and rate of drug overdose deaths increased in every age group from 2017-2021.
• Ages 35-44 had the highest number of drug overdose deaths in 2021 at 672 (29.9% of all deaths) and rate per 100,000 residents (88.6)

Kentucky Injury & Prevention Research Center Report Drug Overdose Emergency Department (ED) Visits

• Nonfatal Drug-involved overdose ED visits totaled 12,946 in 2021, a 0.40% increase from 2020
• Nonfatal opioid-involved overdose ED visits totaled 5,780 in 2021, a 7.8% decrees from 2020
• Nonfatal non-heroin involved overdose ED visits totaled 3,072 in 2021, a 19.7% increase from 2020

Kentucky Injury & Prevention Research Center Report Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Diagnosis

• SUD emergency department visits totaled 47,308 in 2021, a 3.6% increase from 2020
• SUD inpatient hospitalizations totaled 2,237 in 2021, a 14% increase from 2020.

Kentucky Injury & Prevention Research Center Report Drug Related Co-Morbidities

• Drug-related infectious disease ED visits and inpatient hospitalizations totaled 27,950, a 9.3% decrease from 2020
• Drug-related infections disease ED visits and inpatient hospitalizations with co-occurring drug-related diagnosis totaled 11,335, an 8.3% decrease from 2020.
• Drug-exposed inpatient hospitalizations births totaled 742, a 13.6% decrease from 2020

2021 CRIME IN KENTUCKY

Kentucky Arrests for Drugs 2021:

Fentanyl: 578

Heroin/Opiates: 4,173

Methamphetamine: 17,997

Drug Equipment: 18,551

Total Drug Arrests: 64,523

Jefferson County Arrests for Drugs 2021:

Fentanyl: 10

Heroin/Opiates: 495

Methamphetamine: 930

Drug Equipment: 1,030

Total Drug Arrests: 4,370