U.S. drug overdose deaths fell considerably last year.
The news: Public health data indicates 101K people died of drug overdoses in the country over a 12-month period ending in April. There had been 112K overdose deaths during the same period a year earlier, making a 10% YoY drop.
Greater context: Overdose deaths have steadily risen in the U.S. over the last few decades amid the opioid crisis and the prevalence of fentanyl. There were under 20K overdose deaths in 1999, for reference. They spiked considerably after the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 before plateauing last year (a 3% decrease). And, now, a significant drop.
Big picture: The overdose numbers are still very high; the reasons for the drop remain unclear. Experts believe the drop may be a sign new addiction treatments and law enforcement efforts to curb access to fentanyl are working. States with more up-to-date figures are also reportedly seeing even more dramatic decreases.
