ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A report from USAFacts shows that 70,601 people died from a fentanyl overdose in the US in 2021. The data shows the death rate is 26 times higher than a decade prior.

According to the DEA, drug dealers may mix fentanyl with illicit drugs, sometimes without users knowing, and with fentanyl being significantly stronger than other opioids, doses as small as two milligrams can be lethal. USAFacts reports New York ranked in the middle of the U.S. states for fentanyl overdose deaths at the 24th spot. New York had 23.4 fentanyl overdose deaths in 2021.

The data also shows fentanyl overdoses were 87.8% of all opioid deaths in 2021. Since 2014 deaths have increased sharply and are likely due to decline in opioid prescription rates and reformulations to drugs such as Oxycontin aimed at curbing abuse, along with the growing rate at which illegally made fentanyl is combined with other illicit drugs states USAFacts.