Drug overdose deaths surpass 100,000, but fall for first time in five years

U.S. drug overdose deaths fell slightly in 2023, according to initial data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the first annual decrease in drug overdose deaths since 2018.

But the total number of deaths is still extremely high. More than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses last year, a 3% decrease from the approximately 111,000 deaths estimated in 2022.

Deaths surpassed 100,000 for the first time in 2021.

CDC Chief Medical Officer Deb Houry, in a statement, called the findings “encouraging” and a “testament to the hard work of all our partners in this effort and the work being done on the ground.”

However, she noted that there is still work to do and that “progress over the last 12 months should make us want to reinvigorate our efforts, knowing that our strategies are making a difference.”

Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, fell slightly in 2023, from 76,226 to 74,702. However, fatal overdoses from cocaine and psychostimulants like methamphetamine have increased, the CDC found.

The CDC noted that many fatal overdoses involve multiple illicit drugs, so the number of deaths attributed to specific substances does not “equal the total number of drug overdose deaths.”

The report also noted uneven progress across states. Several states saw declines, with Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana and Maine seeing drops of 15% or more.

Still, some states like Alaska, Washington and Oregon saw increases of at least 27% compared to the same period in 2022.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story