Drug overdose-related deaths may have dropped in 2024
Deaths related to drug overdoses may have declined significantly across the United States — especially in eastern and central states.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that drug-related deaths have dropped by about 10.6%, as reported by NPR.
Federal surveys are expected to reveal even larger reductions in this mortality rate at the state level. For instance, some states with more efficient data collection are observing 20% to 30% drops in drug-related deaths and notable reductions in overdose-related emergency room visits — representing a shift in the burden of drug overdoses.
Although there aren’t clear data on the factors contributing to the declines in overdose deaths, some experts have pointed to law enforcement efforts to make fentanyl more difficult to obtain, the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and improvements in the accessibility of treatments for fentanyl addictions. Increasing numbers of patients with opioid-use disorder carry naloxone to reverse the harmful effects of opioid overdoses. The experts suggested that focusing on marginalized communities who are disproportionately impacted by drug overdoses could further decrease these deaths.
Despite the findings, public health officials stressed that over 100,000 deaths from drug overdoses continue to occur each year. They warned that drugs containing fentanyl, methamphetamines, xylazine and other synthetic chemicals are among the leading causes of drug overdoses in the United States.
Read more: NPR
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