US drug deaths jump 22% in 2016, govt data shows

New York

DRUG overdoses killed roughly 64,000 people in the United States last year, according to the first governmental account of nationwide drug deaths to cover all of 2016.

It's a staggering rise of more than 22 per cent over the 52,404 drug deaths recorded the previous year - and even higher than The New York Times' estimate in June, which was based on earlier preliminary data.