Trends in Drug Overdose Mortality Rates in Kentucky, 2019-2020.

In April 2020, early signals from emergency medical services data raised concerns for increasing numbers of drug overdoses during the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky.1 Subsequently, provisional national data for the 12-month period ending May 2020 showed accelerated drug overdose deaths, resulting in a Health Alert Network Advisory calling for expanded prevention efforts.2 This cross-sectional study evaluates the changes in drug overdose mortality rates for Kentucky residents between 2019 and 2020.