Data

The Injury Prevention Service monitors trends in drug overdoses using several data sources – the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), a population-based surveillance system that includes detailed information from death certificates and medical examiner reports of unintentional and undetermined manner drug overdose deaths; inpatient hospitalization data; emergency department discharge data; prescription drug monitoring program controlled prescription dispensations; and various surveys and ad hoc evaluations.

Although the rate of unintentional drug overdose deaths decreased 20% from 2016 to 2019 in Oklahoma, the rate increased 112% from 2019 to 2022. Methamphetamine is the most common substance involved in drug overdose deaths in Oklahoma – involved in three out of five drug overdose deaths in 2022. Methamphetamine overdose deaths increased nearly 19-fold from 2007 to 2022 from 39 to 732 deaths, respectively.

From 2007 to 2016, prescription opioids were the most common type of drug involved in overdose deaths in Oklahoma. The rate of unintentional prescription opioid overdose death decreased 68% from 2013 to 2019. From 2019 to 2022, the number of fentanyl overdose deaths increased 12-fold, from 50 deaths in 2019 to 609 in 2022. Fentanyl was involved in more than four out of five opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022, compared to approximately 10-20% annually prior to 2020. Before 2020, Oklahoma saw an increase in illicitly manufactured fentanyl overdose deaths, but not at the scale of other states.

For counties not hyperlinked, fact sheets are not available because of small numbers of deaths or hospitalizations. For more information on these counties, previous overdose fact sheets, or other requests for drug overdose data, please contact the Injury Prevention Service. 

Mailing Address:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Injury Prevention Service
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave., Suite 1702
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406

Physical Address:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Injury Prevention Service
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK

Telephone: (405) 426-8440
Fax: (405) 900-7588
Email: injury@health.ok.gov