The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that 2023 saw an overall decline in drug overdose deaths across the United States but still described the totals as “staggering,” according to a recent report.
Data from the CDC shows there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States last year, representing a 3 percent decrease from 111,029 deaths reported in 2022. “This is the first annual decrease in drug overdose deaths since 2018,” the federal health agency said last week. Opioid overdose deaths declined from about 84,181 in 2022 to 81,083 in 2023, according to the CDC’s data, which factors in synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
However, there has been a 2023 increase in overdose deaths caused by cocaine, methamphetamine, and similar stimulants, it said. Maine, Indiana, Kansas, and Nebraska saw overdose deaths drop by 15 percent or more, the CDC said, adding that Oregon, Washington state, and Alaska saw increases in similar deaths. Oregon, notably, saw a 27 percent increase last year as compared with 2022’s figures, according to the agency.
“Today’s data showing a decrease in drug overdoses over the 12-month period through December 2023 is heartening news for our nation and demonstrates we are making progress to prevent deaths from drug overdoses,” CDC Chief Medical Officer Deb Houry said in a statement issued last week alongside the release of the latest data. “However, this does not mean we have accomplished our mi.
