Deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl rose by 45 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to a new report by the CDC.
Nearly 48,000 of the more than 70,000 overdose deaths in 2017 could be attributed to opioids.
And the CDC says the biggest reason for the jump in opioid deaths since 2013 has been illegally manufactured fentanyl.
Another recent CDC report found that in 2016, fentanyl surpassed heroin as the most deadly drug used in the U.S.
The report also suggests that the overdose rate may have slowed down in 2018 — but the CDC won't know until a full analysis is done.
