"To understand how matters have accelerated since the benchmark period of 1999, the rate of overdose deaths was 2.5 times higher in 2015 (21.1 per 100,000 people).  The rate increased more among males than females, but was still significantly higher for females in 2015."

https://townhall.com/columnists/brucebialosky/2017/09/17/americas-crisis-with-opioids-the-breadth-and-depth-of-the-opioid-epidemic-n2381460?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&newsletterad=