More Than 321,000 U.S. Children Lost A Parent To Drug Overdose From 2011 To 2021

An estimated 321,566 children in the United States lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2021, according to a;recent study. Between 2011 and 2021, the rate of children who experienced this loss more than doubled, from approximately 27 to 63 children per 100,000 (a 133.3% increase). In total, 649,599 adults aged 18 to 64 years died from a drug overdose from 2011 to 2021.

Children with non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native parents consistently experienced the highest rate of loss of a parent from overdose during this time period, with 187 per . . .