Final answer:
The drug with the highest number of overdose deaths according to DAWN's ME data is opiates. The opioid crisis represents the worst drug crisis in American history, with heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers being the leading causes of overdose deaths.
Step-by-step explanation:
The drug that is associated with the greatest number of deaths by overdose, according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network's Medical Examiner (DAWN's ME) data, is opiates. Opiates are derived from the opium poppy or are synthetic versions of these drugs. The dramatic increase in opioid addiction and overdose deaths has been termed an opioid epidemic, which is considered the worst drug crisis in American history. Prescription opioid overdose deaths often involve other central nervous system depressants like benzodiazepines and alcohol, but the primary culprit in the rise of overdose deaths has been opiates, including drugs like heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers such as morphine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. In 1999, the stimulant drug cocaine was responsible for about twice as many deaths as heroin, but by 2014, deaths from heroin had risen by 439 percent. Fentanyl, one of the opiates, has been particularly notorious for its high overdose potential. It is said to be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, making the risk of overdose death from fentanyl very high.