Tennessee sees annual increase in drug overdose deaths

July 19, 2019 at 5:07 p.m. | Updated July 19, 2019 at 5:07 p.m.

by Associated Press

FILE - This Aug. 29, 2018, file photo shows an arrangement of Oxycodone pills in New York. A new study shoots down the notion that medical marijuana laws can prevent opioid overdose deaths. Chelsea Shover of Stanford University School of Medicine and colleagues reported the findings Monday, June 10, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
FILE - This Aug. 29, 2018, file photo shows an arrangement of Oxycodone pills in New York. A new study shoots down the notion that medical marijuana laws can prevent opioid overdose deaths. Chelsea Shover of Stanford University School of Medicine and colleagues reported the findings Monday, June 10, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee saw its highest number of drug overdoses last year as surrounding states saw drops in the ongoing opioid crisis.

According to a report released Thursday, 1,837 people died from drug overdoses in 2018.

The Tennessean reports that the 2018 death toll from drug overdoses increased 3% from 2017 - which had previously been considered the state's deadliest year. Meanwhile, overdoses decreased 4% nationwide.

The report compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not specify which drugs caused the overdoses. However, state epidemiologist Dr. Tim Jones says the increase is likely attributed to fentanyl and methamphetamine overdoses.

Jones added that it's unclear why Tennessee's numbers increased while nearby states like Kentucky and West Virginia saw decreases.

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