According to fresh government data, drug overdose deaths in the United States set a new high for the 12-month period ending March 2021.

Between March 2020 and March 2021, there were 96,779 drug overdose deaths, a 29.6 percent increase, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. The figures are preliminary, but the CDC estimates that more than 99,000 people may have died between March 2020 and March 2021, according to CNN.

“It is important to remember that behind these devastating numbers are families, friends, and community members who are grieving the loss of loved ones,” said Regina LaBelle, acting director of the Executive Office of the President Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Vermont saw the highest increase in overdose deaths (85.1 percent) during that time period. Opioids were responsible for the greatest number of overdose deaths, followed by synthetic opioids, excluding methadone, which was responsible for the lowest overdose deaths.

From March 2020 to March 2021, the number of overdose deaths in three states decreased: New Hampshire, New Jersey, and South Dakota. South Dakota saw the biggest drop in reported overdose deaths, at 16.3 percent.

The COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States between March 2020 and March 2021, disrupting typical daily routines, according to CNN.

Data from the CDC reveal a 29.7 percent rise in drug overdose deaths between February 2020 and February 2021.

According to CNN, the CDC stated earlier this year that the more than 93,000 drug overdose deaths already reported in 2020 were about 30 percent higher than the amount observed in 2019, and the highest single-year increase ever in the United States.

At the time, National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Dr. Nora Volkow called the figure “chilling” and said the COVID-19 pandemic has “created a devastating collision of health crises in America.”

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