The Washington Post (5/17, Ovalle) reports, “Drug overdose deaths in the United States plateaued in 2022 but still topped 105,000,” according to “provisional data released” May 17 by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The data reveal that “105,452 people succumbed to overdoses in 2022, a number poised to increase as more deaths are reported by state agencies.” This “death count mirrors 2021, when drugs such as illicit fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamines killed more than 107,000 people – a stunning record high in U.S. history.”
According to the AP (5/17, Stobbe), experts remain unsure, however, whether the plateau in 2022 “means the deadliest drug overdose epidemic in U.S. history is finally reaching a peak, or whether it’ll look like previous plateaus that were followed by new surges in deaths.” Last year, “most overdose deaths continued to be linked to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.”
Related Links:
— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)