The New York Times (11/21, Hoffman , Weiland ) reports, “After years of relentless rises in overdose deaths, the United States has seen a remarkable reversal.” For seven consecutive “months, according to federal data, drug fatalities have been declining.” Expanded prevention, treatment, “and education efforts are playing a role, but drug policy experts believe there is another, surprising reason: changes in the drug supply itself, which are, in turn, influencing how people are using drugs.” For example, “the fentanyl on the street is starting to become weaker.” According to addiction experts, “other interventions contributed to the declining fatalities, including wider distribution of overdose reversal medications” and “an uptick in some states in prescriptions for medication that suppresses opioid cravings.”
CNN (11/21, McPhillips ) reports, “The US Drug Enforcement Administration says that less fentanyl is present in the nation’s illicit pill supply and that is helping drive down overdose deaths in the United States.” However, “experts say that there are limitations to this claim and that many other factors are probably playing a role.”
Related Links:
— “Less-potent fentanyl pills may be playing a role in decrease of US overdose deaths, DEA says,” Deidre McPhillips, CNN, November 21, 2024