The AP (10/23, Alonso-Zaldivar, Johnson) reports that the number of U.S. drug overdose deaths has started “to level off after years of relentless increases driven by the opioid epidemic,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said on Tuesday, although he cautioned “it’s too soon to declare victory.” Azar stated during an event sponsored by the Milken Institute, “We are so far from the end of the epidemic, but we are perhaps, at the end of the beginning.” CDC data show some “70,000 people died of drug overdoses last year,” which represents an increase of 10 percent compared to 2016. The article adds, “Azar said in his speech that toward the end of last year and through the beginning of this year, the number of deaths ‘has begun to plateau.’”
Politico (10/23, Ehley) reports that preliminary data from the CDC indicate “drug overdose deaths, which spiked in 2017, dropped 2.8 percent toward the end of last year and the beginning of 2018.” The article says, “Azar credited federal, state and local efforts, one day before President Donald Trump will sign overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation to address the opioid crisis.” Azar said, “The seemingly relentless trend of rising overdose deaths seems to be finally bending in the right direction.” However, CDC Director Robert Redfield warned that the “figures are preliminary but said they are encouraging.” He stated, “We’ll see how that works out as we finalize the numbers.”
Related Links:
— “US health chief says overdose deaths beginning to level off, “Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar – Carla K. Johnson, AP, October 23, 2018.