Fentanyl Shifted West by 2019

CDC data show synthetic‑opioid deaths didn’t just rise—they spread. From 2018 to 2019, the West had the largest relative jump in fentanyl‑class overdose death rates (up 67.9%), reversing earlier eastern concentration. This westward diffusion coincided with rising polysubstance involvement. — Recognizing the epidemic’s geographic pivot guides where to surge naloxone, test strips, treatment capacity, and surveillance rather than relying on outdated regional assumptions.