Overdose Deaths Down in the U.S.

By Kelly Young

Edited by Susan Sadoughi, MD, and Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM

Overdose deaths in the U.S. dropped 5.1% from 2017 to 2018, falling to an estimated 68,500, according to provisional counts released by the CDC on Wednesday. This is the first year fatal overdoses have fallen since 1990, the New York Times reports.

South Dakota (-25%), Ohio (-22%), Pennsylvania (-20%) and Iowa (-20%) saw the largest year-on-year reductions in overdose deaths, while rates actually increased in Delaware (17%), Missouri (16%), Vermont (12%), and other states.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar noted that more patients were receiving medication treatment, naloxone was being more widely distributed, and opioid prescriptions were down.

He added, "While the declining trend of overdose deaths is an encouraging sign, by no means have we declared victory against the epidemic or addiction in general. This crisis developed over two decades and it will not be solved overnight. We also face other emerging threats, like concerning trends in cocaine and methamphetamine overdoses."