Fatal drug overdoses hit record high in US, government figures show

In 2014 more people died in America from drug overdoses than from car accidents, with heroin and opioids responsible for the majority of deaths Deaths from drug overdoses have surged across the US to record levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, overdose deaths last year exceeded 47,000, more than the number of people killed in car accidents and up 7% from the previous year.