Las Vegas and Clark County Drug Overdose Statistics
Sourced data on drug overdose mortality in Las Vegas, Clark County, and Nevada — fentanyl trends, demographic breakdowns, and how the local picture compares to national figures.
Local overdose data shapes how treatment is delivered. The numbers below are drawn from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, the Southern Nevada Health District, and the Clark County Coroner\'s drug fatality dashboard.
Source: Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, 2022 Mortality Report.
What is the leading cause of drug death in Nevada?
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have been the leading single cause of drug overdose death in Nevada since approximately 2020. Fentanyl displaced heroin and prescription opioids, which had dominated the data through the 2010s. Polysubstance overdoses — fentanyl combined with stimulants (cocaine or methamphetamine) — represent the fastest-growing category in Clark County coroner data. See our fentanyl rehab page.
How many drug overdoses occurred in 2022 and 2023?
Clark County recorded 828 drug overdose deaths in 2022 — the most recent full-year mortality report from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. The U.S. overall logged a record 107,941 overdose deaths in 2022 per CDC provisional data, with synthetic opioids responsible for roughly two-thirds of that total. National figures dipped modestly in 2023–2024, though Clark County\'s decline has been less consistent than the national trend.
What state has the highest overdose rate?
By age-adjusted overdose mortality rate per 100,000 residents, the consistent national leaders in CDC tables are West Virginia (typically 90+ per 100,000), Tennessee, Kentucky, Delaware, and Ohio. Nevada ranks in the upper-middle band nationally. Clark County\'s 2022 rate of 47.4 per 100,000 places the Las Vegas metro among the harder-hit major U.S. cities, although below the worst Appalachian and Midwestern figures.
Which drug has the highest death rate?
Synthetic opioids — primarily fentanyl — account for roughly two-thirds of U.S. drug overdose deaths in recent CDC data. Stimulants (methamphetamine and cocaine) are the second-largest category, frequently combined with fentanyl. Heroin overdose deaths have fallen sharply as fentanyl has displaced heroin in the illicit supply. Prescription opioid deaths have also fallen with tighter prescribing, although they remain a meaningful share. See opioid rehab for treatment context.
CDC overdose data
CDC provisional data shows U.S. drug overdose deaths peaked above 110,000 annually in 2022–2023 before beginning a modest decline starting in 2024. Fentanyl drives the majority of opioid deaths. Naloxone access and expansion of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) are the two most-cited evidence-based interventions associated with declining mortality. Nevada\'s naloxone standing-order distribution and the recent expansion of buprenorphine prescribing are part of that statewide response.
How treatment connects to the data
Every overdose death represents at minimum one missed treatment opportunity — and often several. The single highest-leverage intervention in the data is linking patients to treatment after a non-fatal overdose; ER-initiated buprenorphine programs reduce subsequent overdose mortality substantially. If you or someone in your household has had a non-fatal overdose, inpatient detox followed by MAT is the evidence-based next step. We coordinate same-day admissions in Las Vegas with PPO insurance verification.
Local data sources
- Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health — 2022 Mortality Report
- Southern Nevada Health District — Drug Overdose Reports
- Clark County Coroner — Drug Fatality Dashboard
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the leading cause of drug-related death in Nevada?
- Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have been the leading cause of drug overdose death in Nevada since approximately 2020, displacing heroin and prescription opioids that previously dominated the data. Fentanyl is now implicated in the majority of opioid overdose deaths recorded by the Clark County Coroner.
- How many drug overdose deaths occurred in Clark County in 2022?
- Clark County recorded 828 drug overdose deaths in 2022, a rate of 47.4 per 100,000 residents — placing Nevada among the ten hardest-hit states nationwide per the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health's 2022 Mortality Report.
- What state has the highest overdose rate?
- By age-adjusted overdose mortality rate, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky consistently top CDC tables. Nevada ranks in the upper-middle band nationally, and Clark County's rate exceeds the statewide average.
- Which drug has the highest overdose death rate in the U.S.?
- Synthetic opioids — primarily fentanyl — account for roughly two-thirds of U.S. overdose deaths in recent CDC data, far exceeding heroin, prescription opioids, methamphetamine, or cocaine individually. Stimulants combined with fentanyl (intentional polysubstance use, or fentanyl contamination of the stimulant supply) is the fastest-growing category.
- What does the CDC say about overdoses?
- CDC data shows U.S. overdose deaths peaked above 110,000 annually in 2022–2023 before beginning a modest decline. Fentanyl drives the majority of opioid deaths. Stimulant-related deaths (particularly methamphetamine and cocaine combined with fentanyl) are rising. Naloxone access and treatment expansion are the two most-cited evidence-based interventions.
- What state has the highest rate of overdose?
- West Virginia has consistently held the highest age-adjusted overdose mortality rate in CDC tables, often exceeding 90 per 100,000 residents. Tennessee, Kentucky, Delaware, and Ohio fill the top five. Nevada is in the upper tier nationally — Clark County's 47.4 per 100,000 in 2022 ranks the metro among the hardest-hit major cities.
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