FRANKFORT, KY (LEX 18) — Gov. Andy Beshear has released the 2022 Overdose Fatality Report.
The report states 2,135 Kentuckians lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2022, which is a decline of more than 5% compared with the previous year. It is the first decline since 2018.
The report indicates 90% of overdose deaths involved opioids. Fentanyl continues to be the most prevalent drug contributing to those deaths, accounting for 72.5% nationwide in 2022. Potent, inexpensive methamphetamine was also a significant contributor to overdose deaths.