CNN (9/19, McPhillips ) reports, “Federal data shows that overdose deaths in the United States are the lowest they’ve been in three years, and a new analysis suggests that some downward trends indicate ‘unprecedented’ progress in the fight against the drug epidemic.” Deaths from drug overdoses “soared during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, jumping 30% between 2019 and 2020 and another 16% by the end of 2021, according to data from” the CDC. However, “the latest provisional data shows that overdose deaths made a sharp turn at the end of last year and have been trending down for months.” In spite of the recent lower numbers, “experts warn that it’s not time to be complacent.”
ABC News (9/19, Benadjaoud, Goodman) reports that five months ago, “the latest month with data, the estimated number of deaths in the past 12 months was 101,168, according to the CDC.” The article adds, “The last month with figures that low was in May of 2021, with 100,997 deaths.”
Related Links:
— “US overdoses have fallen sharply in recent months, a hopeful shift in trends,”Deidre McPhillips, CNN, September 19, 2024