A hopeful and unexpected drop in U.S. drug overdose deaths appears to be gaining speed.
Fatal overdoses are down 12.7% , according to data released this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It marks another significant improvement from last month , when surveys showed roughly a 10.
6% drop in fatalities from street drugs. "This is the largest recorded reduction in overdose deaths, and the sixth consecutive month of reported decreases," White House officials said in a statement . Experts say the drop in street drug mortality marks a dramatic reversal from just a few years ago when fatal overdoses were spiraling upward at devastating speed, fueled largely by the spread of street fentanyl.
If the trend holds, this year is expected to be the first since 2020 to see overdose deaths fall below the 100,000 mark. During a press conference on Thursday, public health officials from New York City and Seattle said their experience locally mirrors the national trend. Brad Finegood, who coordinates overdose and addiction programs in King County, Wash.
, which includes Seattle, pointed to a 22% decline in fatal overdoses in the first nine months of this year. "That for us represents an extremely significant decline," Finegood said. "Our nonfatal overdoses have also decreased significantly.
" New York City saw more modest improvement: a decline of 1% in fatal overdoses from 2022 to 2023. “This represents the beginning, the green shoots of progress,” said city Health Com.