How many drug-related deaths were there in the U.S. last year?
A. DAWN cannot produce a measure of the total number of drug-related deaths in the U.S. The DAWN mortality data are collected from selected medical examiner and coroner jurisdictions nationwide. These facilities are not drawn from a scientific sample, so it is not possible to project to the U.S as a whole. The National Vital Statistics System, maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics, is the source for national data on mortality.
