U.S. drug overdose deaths dropped slightly in 2023 — marking the first decrease in OD deaths since 2018, according to early data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses last year, a 3 percent drop from the approximately 111,000 deaths estimated in 2022.
Deaths surpassed 100,000 for the first time in 2021, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
CDC Chief Medical Officer Deb Houry said in a statement that the findings are “heartening,” and a “testament to the hard work by all of our partners in this effort and the work being done on the ground.”
“Progress over the last 12 months should make us want to reinvigorate our efforts knowing that our strategies are making a difference,” she said. (The Hill)
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