Opioid Overdose Deaths Decline to Lowest in Three Years
Opioid overdose deaths have decreased to 75,091 in the year ending April 2024, the lowest in three years, but remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. Some states continue to report high overdose rates despite the overall decline.
| Score | Value |
|---|---|
Scale | 8 |
Novelty | 5 |
Positivity | 6 |
Reliability | 9 |
Actionability | 3 |
Society | 7 |
Journalism | 4 |
Highlights
- Opioid overdose deaths have dropped to 75,091 for the year ending in April 2024, according to the CDC.
- The peak of opioid overdose deaths reached over 86,000 estimated annual deaths last summer.
- Fatal overdoses from opioids remain worse than pre-pandemic levels, which were fewer than 50,000 fatal overdoses a year.
- Several states in the Northwest, including Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, are still reporting high or record overdose deaths.
- The recent decline in opioid overdoses has contributed to a 10% overall decrease in deaths since the peak in August.
Perspectives
- Former President Donald Trump has made opioid overdose deaths a central issue in his campaign, claiming that deaths were lower during his presidency and pledging to combat drug addiction through strict measures. He has linked the issue to immigration and border control, criticizing the current administration's handling of the crisis.
- Vice President Kamala Harris has highlighted her past work as a prosecutor against drug cartels and criticized Trump's actions that she claims hindered efforts to control fentanyl trafficking. She emphasizes the need for bipartisan solutions to address the surge in drug overdoses.