Deaths from unintentional overdoses in the workplace continued to rise in 2019

There were 313 workplace deaths from unintentional overdoses in 2019. Unintentional overdose deaths in the workplace increased on average 24 percent each year from 2011 to 2018 but rose 2.6 percent in 2019. The number of cases in 2019 was the highest recorded since data began in 2011. Each annual total from 2013 to 2019 has been a new high.

While the national percentage increase of unintentional fatal overdoses in 2019 was below the recent trend, several states still experienced large percentage changes in 2019.

Georgia had the largest percent increase in unintentional overdoses, from 2018 to 2019, at 133 percent. California had a 104 percent increase during the same period. Massachusetts had the largest percent decrease in unintentional overdoses with a decrease of 39 percent.

Of the 313 fatal unintentional overdoses in 2019, 54.6 percent (171 fatal injuries) involved workers ages 25 to 44. Another 38.3 percent (120 fatal injuries) involved workers ages 45 to 64.

These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities program. To learn more, see “National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2019” and more charts. We also have more data on fatal work injuries from unintentional overdose.