Stimulant Deaths Rising Independently

National mortality data from 2013–2019 show psychostimulant-involved overdose deaths rose 317% and increased even when synthetic-opioid (fentanyl) involvement was absent, indicating a partially separate stimulant epidemic alongside fentanyl. The pattern means prevention and treatment must address polysubstance use and stimulant-specific harms, not just opioid-focused strategies. — Calls for policy and program shifts: public-health and criminal-justice responses must target rising stimulant harms as a distinct, co-occurring crisis.