Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Number of US Overdose Deaths Appears to Be Falling
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
July 18, 2019

Share

NEW YORK — U.S. overdose deaths last year likely fell for the first time in nearly three decades, preliminary numbers suggest.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday posted data showing nearly 68,000 drug overdose deaths were reported last year. The number may go up as more investigations are completed, but the agency expects the tally will end up below 69,000.

The number may go up as more investigations are completed, but the agency expects the tally will end up below 69,000.
Overdose deaths had been climbing each year since 1990, topping 70,000 in 2017.
The numbers were celebrated by the U.S. secretary of health and human services. “Lives are being saved, and we’re beginning to win the fight against this crisis,” Alex Azar wrote in a tweet.
But the overdose death rate is still about seven times higher than it was a generation ago.
“We’re still in a pretty sad situation that we need to address,” said Rebecca Haffajee, a University of Michigan researcher.
Researchers do not believe this is the start of a dramatic decline. Data from the first months of this year likely will show that the decrease is not gaining steam, said Farida Ahmad of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Annual count of drug overdose deaths since 1968. (AP)

Experts Trace Origins to 1995

The improvement was driven by a drop in deaths from heroin and prescription painkillers. Those falls were offset somewhat by continuing growth in deaths involving a different opioid, fentanyl, as well as other drugs such cocaine and methamphetamines. Overdose deaths often involve more than one drug.
The improvement is not uniform: Some states seem to be making dramatic progress, while deaths continue to rise in others. The preliminary CDC data suggested deaths last year were down by as many as 1,000 or more in Ohio and Pennsylvania — each seeing declines of about 20%. Meanwhile, deaths increased by about 17% in Missouri, which had more than 200 additional deaths.
It can take months for authorities to complete toxicology tests and other elements of a death investigation involving drugs. And some states report faster than others. The CDC is expected to report more complete data later this year.
The current overdose epidemic has killed more people than any other in U.S. history, and it had been on a soaring trajectory. From 2014 to 2017, overdose deaths jumped by 5,000 or more each year.
Experts trace the epidemic’s origins to 1995 and the marketing of the prescription painkiller OxyContin. It was meant be safer and more effective than other prescription opioids, but some patients got hooked and found they could crush the tablets and snort or inject them to get high.

Percent change in drug overdose deaths by state. (AP)

Researchers Not Sure What’s Responsible for Decrease

Gradually, many turned to cheaper street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl. In 2015, heroin began causing more deaths than prescription painkillers or other drugs. In 2016, fentanyl and its close cousins became the biggest drug killer, and in 2018 they were involved in about 46% of the reported overdose deaths, according to the preliminary CDC data.

“It’s fantastic that we have fewer deaths, don’t get me wrong. But I’m not sure it’s an indication that the opioid problem per se is diminishing. It’s just that we have greater availability of the drugs that will keep us alive.” — Valerie Hardcastle, Northern Kentucky University
Strategies to reduce drug overdose deaths have included tougher policing, treatment program expansions, policies to limit opioid painkiller prescriptions and wider distribution of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.
Haffajee and other researchers are trying to figure out what measures are most responsible for the slight improvement.
“It’s complicated because there are so many policies going on, and as an evaluator it’s very hard to separate them out and determine which is working,” she said.
Valerie Hardcastle, a Northern Kentucky University administrator who oversees research and other work on local health issues, has seen the overdose epidemic play out in her region, near Cincinnati. She believes a major factor is Narcan, a nasal spray version of naloxone, that has been widely distributed through the efforts of philanthropists and local, state, and federal officials.
“It’s fantastic that we have fewer deaths, don’t get me wrong,” she said. “But I’m not sure it’s an indication that the opioid problem per se is diminishing. It’s just that we have greater availability of the drugs that will keep us alive.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

One Person Killed in Explosion Outside Fertility Clinic; Police Say Act Was ‘Intentional’

DON'T MISS

Trump Wants a Deal With Iran, but It May Be Weaker Than His Supporters Demand

DON'T MISS

Duffy Blamed Biden for Air Traffic Woes. It’s a Decades-Old Problem.

DON'T MISS

The Day Grok Lost Its Mind

DON'T MISS

Police and Firefighters Respond to an Explosion Rocking the California City of Palm Springs

DON'T MISS

Clovis Goes Full Throttle With Biggest Old Town Motorama Yet

DON'T MISS

Israel Launches a New Military Operation in Gaza a Day After Trump Leaves the Middle East

DON'T MISS

Kristen Stewart Was Always Ready to Direct

DON'T MISS

Walz Calls Trump a ‘Tyrant’ Who Is Trampling Americans’ Rights and Violating the Rule of Law

DON'T MISS

Severe Weather Leaves at Least 23 Dead, Including 14 in Storm-Battered Kentucky

UP NEXT

Israel Launches a New Military Operation in Gaza a Day After Trump Leaves the Middle East

UP NEXT

Kristen Stewart Was Always Ready to Direct

UP NEXT

Severe Weather Leaves at Least 23 Dead, Including 14 in Storm-Battered Kentucky

UP NEXT

Student Loans Have Been Confusing Lately. Here’s a Guide to Know Where You Stand

UP NEXT

Bernie Sanders and AOC are Popular With Democrats. Here’s a Timeline of Their Alliance

UP NEXT

9 National Parks With Scenic Bike Trails Perfect for Kids and Parents

UP NEXT

US Cable Giants Charter and Cox Pursue $34.5 Billion Merger

UP NEXT

Republicans Reject Trump Tax-Cut Bill After President Calls for Unity

UP NEXT

WNBA Set for New Season With Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese Leading the Way

UP NEXT

Ohtani’s Big Night: Two Homers, Six RBIs Lead Dodgers Past Athletics

The Day Grok Lost Its Mind

1 day ago

Police and Firefighters Respond to an Explosion Rocking the California City of Palm Springs

1 day ago

Clovis Goes Full Throttle With Biggest Old Town Motorama Yet

1 day ago

Israel Launches a New Military Operation in Gaza a Day After Trump Leaves the Middle East

1 day ago

Kristen Stewart Was Always Ready to Direct

1 day ago

Walz Calls Trump a ‘Tyrant’ Who Is Trampling Americans’ Rights and Violating the Rule of Law

1 day ago

Severe Weather Leaves at Least 23 Dead, Including 14 in Storm-Battered Kentucky

1 day ago

Trump Says He Will Call Putin, Then Zelenskyy, on Monday to Push for Ukraine Ceasefire

1 day ago

‘Eat the Tariffs!’: Trump Warns Walmart Not to Pass Costs to Customers

1 day ago

Biden Audio Release Pressures Democrats Who Would Rather Talk About Trump

1 day ago

One Person Killed in Explosion Outside Fertility Clinic; Police Say Act Was ‘Intentional’

An explosion that heavily damaged a fertility clinic in the upscale California city of Palm Springs appears to have been intentional, local ...

1 day ago

1 day ago

One Person Killed in Explosion Outside Fertility Clinic; Police Say Act Was ‘Intentional’

1 day ago

Trump Wants a Deal With Iran, but It May Be Weaker Than His Supporters Demand

1 day ago

Duffy Blamed Biden for Air Traffic Woes. It’s a Decades-Old Problem.

1 day ago

The Day Grok Lost Its Mind

1 day ago

Police and Firefighters Respond to an Explosion Rocking the California City of Palm Springs

The Old Town Motorama in Clovis is expected to draw up to 35,000 people Saturday for its biggest classic car show yet.
1 day ago

Clovis Goes Full Throttle With Biggest Old Town Motorama Yet

1 day ago

Israel Launches a New Military Operation in Gaza a Day After Trump Leaves the Middle East

1 day ago

Kristen Stewart Was Always Ready to Direct

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend