Most US opioid overdose deaths accidental, 4% are suicide

A new analysis shows accidental overdoses contribute to 90% of all U.S. opioid-related deaths.
The report out Tuesday also shows opioid-related suicides account for far fewer of these deaths than previously thought.
Researchers think rising use of heroin and highly potent fentanyl has likely contributed to the accidental death rate.
It surged nine-fold between 2000 and 2017 at a faster pace than opioid suicides.
In 2017, suicides accounted for about 4% of the 47,500 opioid-related deaths. A slightly larger portion were from undetermined causes.
The results are from an analysis of national death certificate data.