Delaware.gov Logo
Delaware.gov Logo Text
My Healthy Community: Delaware Environmental Public Health Tracking Network

Search for your community or a topic

Enter your county, ZIP code, census tract, etc

Search for topics like Asthma or Drug Overdose Deaths

Selected location:

Overview

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Delaware had the fifth highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021.

This dashboard includes measures and insights from three data systems that monitor drug overdose deaths in Delaware.

  • Death Investigation Alerts (DIAs) from the Division of Forensic Science (DFS) provide an early warning system from Forensic Investigator reports to report suspected drug overdose deaths. These data are shown in the Deaths Investigation Alerts section to provide up-to-date, monthly trends with potentially alarming shifts in drug overdose death counts.ย 
  • State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) provides details about drug overdose deaths, such as geography, sex, race, ethnicity, age groups, occupation, toxicology, medical history, institutional history, and circumstances at the time of death. These data are available on the SUDORS section of this dashboard.
  • Delaware Vital Events Registration System (DelVRS) provides death certificate data in the Death Certificates section of this data dashboard to view longer-time trends in drug overdose deaths for select demographic groups for Delaware residents.
Substance Use Disorder Support

Looking for substance abuse treatment?

Delaware has resources available

Substance Use Disorder Support

Treatment Providers and Naloxone Distribution Centers

Please see the Help is Here - Treatment & Recovery website to learn where treatment centers are located.

Help is Here Delaware

Key Data & Reports

Drug Overdose Deaths in Delaware

Data are current as of 1/1/2021

Most recent dashboard update: 5/29/2024

Here, we highlight one key statistic from each tab. Click a table row to see more detailed data for the statistic.

Table Key
Data System
Indicator

Kent County

% Change
Trendline
Deaths Investigation Alerts

Suspected Drug Overdose Deaths

number of people
N/AN/A
SUDORS

Drug Overdose Deaths (Drug Type: Any Opioid)

number of people
N/AN/A
Death Certificates

Drug Overdose Death Rate

age-adjusted rate per 100,000 residents

59.2

(2021)
Increased 97%(2016 to 2021)
Loading...

Additional Information

Drug Overdose Deaths in Kent County

Resources


Help is Here Delaware

Prevention, Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery resources for Delaware

NSC Memorial Site

Memorial map to overdose decedents

Healthy Homes Prescription Drop Off Locations

All permanent prescription drop-off locations in Delaware

Where to obtain naloxone

National Map of Naloxone Locations

Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health

The Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) is located in the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). DSAMH serves the adult (age 18 and older) population in need of publicly funded behavioral health services. DSAMH is organized into three operating units. These are the Delaware Psychiatric Center (DPC) and a variety of community-based Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Programs.

Data Sources


Mortality

Citation: Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Delaware Health Statistics Center.

State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System

Citation: Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), 2018-2023.

Suspected Delaware Drug Overdose Deaths

Citation: Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Division of Forensic Science, https://forensics.delaware.gov/about/index.shtml?dc=aboutUs

Privacy


In releasing this information, Delaware aims to provide information that can be helpful to local communities as they work to improve public health. However, the protection of the confidentiality of our citizens is of paramount importance. To that end, counts of less than 11 are not presented. An outside expert has reviewed the platform to ensure it complies with the HIPAA privacy rule (45 CFR 164.ยง514(b)).