A growing public health crisis is spreading across the United States as deaths linked to methamphetamine continue to rise at an alarming rate.
What was once considered a problem mainly affecting parts of the western United States has now expanded into nearly every region of the country. Health experts say the situation has become even more dangerous because methamphetamine is increasingly being used alongside powerful opioids such as fentanyl.
A recent study led by researchers from the University of Mississippi and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examined nearly two decades of overdose data to better understand how methamphetamine-related deaths have changed over time.
The research was published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine and used information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WONDER database, one of the largest sources of public health data in the United States.
The findings reveal a dramatic increase in deaths involving methamphetamine. In 1999, there were 547 methamphetamine-related overdose deaths recorded across the country. By 2023, that number had climbed to 34,855 deaths in a single year. This represents an increase of more than sixty times over the 24-year period.
Researchers wanted to understand not only how much the problem had grown but also where it was happening. Their analysis showed that some regions are being affected more heavily than others. The highest death rates were found in the Pacific and Mountain regions, including states such as California, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.
However, the problem is no longer limited to western states. The East South Central region, which includes Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee, has also experienced particularly high rates of methamphetamine-related overdose deaths.
According to the researchers, identifying the areas with the highest death rates can help public health officials direct resources where they are needed most. Communities facing the greatest challenges may benefit from more addiction treatment programs, additional training for healthcare professionals, and greater access to harm-reduction services.
These services can include clean syringe programs, overdose education, and wider availability of naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses and save lives.
The rise in methamphetamine-related deaths is part of a larger story that has unfolded over the past quarter century. Experts often describe the American overdose crisis as occurring in several waves.
The first wave was driven largely by prescription opioid painkillers. The second wave was marked by increased heroin use. The third wave emerged when fentanyl, a synthetic opioid far stronger than heroin, became widely available.
Researchers now describe the current period as the fourth wave of the overdose epidemic, characterized by the growing use of stimulants such as methamphetamine, often combined with opioids.
This combination has created new dangers. Data from January 2021 through June 2024 showed that stimulants were involved in 59% of overdose deaths in the United States. In 43% of overdose deaths, both stimulants and opioids were present. These figures highlight how common drug combinations have become and why overdose prevention efforts are increasingly complex.
One reason the combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl is so dangerous is that the two drugs affect the body in very different ways. Methamphetamine is a stimulant that increases alertness and energy, while fentanyl is a depressant that slows breathing and can quickly cause an overdose.
Researchers explain that the stimulant effects of methamphetamine may mask some of the warning signs of an opioid overdose. As a result, people may not recognize the danger until it is too late.
The study also points to some encouraging signs. In parts of the northeastern United States, including New England and the Middle Atlantic regions, overdose death rates have begun to stabilize between 2020 and 2023.
Researchers believe that strong public health efforts may have contributed to this trend. Community outreach programs, expanded treatment options, and harm-reduction services may be helping to prevent even larger increases.
However, experts caution that stable numbers should not be mistaken for success. A leveling off in deaths simply means the situation is no longer worsening at the same pace. Thousands of lives are still being lost every year, and many communities continue to struggle with the effects of addiction, overdose, and limited access to treatment.
The researchers say their findings should serve as an important warning. Methamphetamine use is now a nationwide issue, and its growing connection with fentanyl has made the overdose crisis even more deadly.
They argue that expanding access to treatment, increasing public education, supporting harm-reduction programs, and investing in local healthcare services will all be essential if the country hopes to reduce overdose deaths in the years ahead.
While the challenge remains enormous, experts believe that targeted action, community support, and evidence-based public health strategies can help save lives and reduce the impact of this ongoing crisis.
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