Drug Overdose Deaths Drop for First Time Since 2018

The rate of death by overdose declined in 2023, marking the first decrease in five years. Data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics show the decline mainly attributed to a drop in deaths from synthetic opioids, specifically fentanyl. The number of drug overdoses in 2023 was predicted to be 107,543, down from 111,029 in 2022, indicating a 3 percent drop. Deaths from all types of opioids dropped by 3.7 percent. The good news, unfortunately, stops there, as death rates from stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine rose. Deaths from cocaine overdose were up 5.2 percent, while the death rate for methamphetamine was up nearly 2 percent....