Which 3 Drugs Are the Easiest to Overdose On?

Drug use and abuse can be dangerous no matter the substance, but certain ones come up most often in reports of life-threatening or even fatal overdoses. Unfortunately, many overdoses today are unintentionally caused by fentanyl or other opioids. Still, there are other dangerous substances on the list of easiest drugs to overdose on. Problems from overdose include severe physical and mental side effects, including tremors, convulsions, and even death, and people who are suffering from an addiction to certain drugs are at an extremely high risk of overdose. That’s why effective addiction treatment in California, like we provide at Resurgence Behavioral Health, can be a life-saving way of overcoming the dangers of overdose. Let’s explore the drugs that lead to the most overdoses and why they’re particularly dangerous. 

Which Drugs Are the Most Common for Overdose?

Understanding the easiest drugs to overdose on requires knowing how the trends of dangerous drugs have changed in recent decades, largely due to opioids and, increasingly, fentanyl. Symptoms can vary significantly, including during an overdose of opioids or alcohol. Symptoms of a drug overdose may include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Pain
• Drowsiness, poor coordination, or confusion
• Paranoia or agitation
• Slowed or labored breathing
• Losing consciousness

According to an analysis of death certificates in the National Vital Statistics System, the following were the 10 most frequently mentioned specific drugs from 2011-2016:

• Fentanyl
• Heroin
• Hydrocodone
• Methadone
• Morphine
• Oxycodone
• Alprazolam
• Diazepam
• Cocaine
• Methamphetamine

During those five years, the rate of overdose deaths involving heroin or methamphetamine more than tripled. From 2013 to 2016, the rate of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl or its analogs doubled each year.

More recent data paints a very similar picture. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there were 107,941 drug overdose deaths in 2022, with 73,838 of those involving synthetic opioids other than methadone – most often, illicit fentanyl. Like fentanyl, overdose deaths involving stimulants like cocaine or psychostimulants like methamphetamine increased from 2019 to 2022.

Are Fentanyl Overdoses Increasing in the United States?

When thinking about the easiest drugs to overdose on, one name in particular comes up more and more: Fentanyl. This synthetic opioid is more potent than morphine, making it quite addictive – and only a small amount can lead to potentially fatal overdose symptoms. Illicit fentanyl is cheap to make, and it’s often added to other drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine to increase the high for users. Unfortunately, people have no way of knowing if the drug they buy might contain fentanyl or what the dosage is, and that’s fueled a rise in unintentional overdose deaths across the country.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, overdose deaths involving any kind of opioid rose dramatically from 49,860 in 2019 to 81,806 in 2022. U.S. overdose deaths overall saw a slight decrease of 3% from 2022 to 2023 – the first decrease in the number of annual overdose deaths since 2018 – and the number of overdose deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl decreased as well that year. Even then, there were 74,702 estimated deaths in 2023 from synthetic opioids – primarily fentanyl. Total deaths from cocaine and psychostimulants like methamphetamine also increased slightly from 2022 to 2023.

How Many Painkillers Is Too Much at Once?

There isn’t one universal answer to the question of how much is too much for any drug, including painkillers or opioids. Each person is unique, and factors like their past use history and frequency of use, overall health, other substances they’re using at the same time, age, and more will greatly influence how their body will respond to a drug. That’s why an amount that would be fatal in one person might not cause the same dangerous problems in another. Even over-the-counter pain relievers can cause serious health problems if too much is taken. It’s important to follow doctors’ orders for any prescription painkiller closely – and not to abuse any painkiller otherwise.

While fentanyl is the clear driver of the vast majority of overdose deaths in America, several kinds of opioids are commonly abused, including codeine, morphine, and oxycodone, as well as illicit heroin or fentanyl.

What Causes Death in a Heroin Overdose?

While heroin has largely been replaced by synthetic opioids, especially illegally made fentanyl, it still accounted for 7% of opioid deaths in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Repeated use can cause tolerance and opioid dependence, and heroin is a very addictive substance. If someone overdoses on heroin, they will become fatigued or even become unconscious. They can also have slow or shallow breathing. Most of the time, deaths from heroin are caused by the person stopping breathing. Medications like Naloxone are available to reverse an opioid overdose from heroin or other drugs that can be quite effective if administered in time. However, many people who overdose won’t be found in time to help, which is why opioids are the main driver of the overall number of fatal drug overdoses in the United States each year.

Get Help If You’re Addicted to the Easiest Drugs to Overdose On

In more recent studies, there is a clear trend of the easiest drugs to overdose on – the main driver of overdose deaths in America is now fentanyl, especially illicit and illegally made fentanyl. This powerful, potent drug is often used to lace other drugs as a cheap way of increasing the effect of other substances. However, this potent drug can lead to fatal overdoses even from a very small amount, and that’s why it’s frequently involved in drug overdoses today. At the same time, older substances like methamphetamine and cocaine also top the list of overdose deaths, and many other drugs and alcohol can also lead to a fatal overdose. That’s why the best way to avoid the risks of the easiest drugs to overdose on comes down to avoiding drug use and getting treatment for addiction.

In California, Resurgence Behavioral Health offers comprehensive medical detox services, drug rehab programs, and aftercare support you or your loved one need to overcome addiction. Our staff knows what it takes to address the physical and mental components of addiction and offer a path to a better, healthier future without addiction. Learn more about how we can help by calling us at 855-458-0050 today.

External Sources

• CDC National Center for Health Statistics – U.S. Overdose Deaths Decrease in 2023, First Time Since 2018
• CDC Overdose Prevention – Heroin
• National Library of Medicine – Drugs Most Frequently Involved in Drug Overdose Deaths: United States, 2011-2016
• National Institute on Drug Abuse – Drug Overdose Deaths: Facts and Figures

These 3 drugs can easily lead to overdose. Call Resurgence Behavioral Health to get help for addiction today! #addictivedrugs #drugoverdose #overdosepreventionhttps://t.co/pzLOvd4cdt

— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) August 19, 2022

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

Research | Editorial