💊 Overdoses from opioids are finally beginning to decrease in the US

• The number of deaths from overdoses in the USA has decreased since fall 2023.
• This applies to both overdoses in general and overdoses related to opioids, including fentanyl.
• Access to treatment and naloxone may have contributed to the decrease.

Downward trend in deaths from overdoses

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA, the number of deaths from overdoses has slightly decreased since fall 2023. This applies to both overdoses in general and overdoses related to opioids, including fentanyl, reports the newsletter What Could Go Right?

Over the past 12 months, more than 102,000 people have died as a result of overdoses, which is still a high number compared to the years before the pandemic. Between 2017 and 2019, the number of deaths from overdoses was estimated at over 68,000 per year.

Possible causes of the decrease

Experts have several theories about why deaths from overdoses are now decreasing:

1. Return to pre-pandemic levels: Deaths from overdoses increased dramatically during the first years of the pandemic due to stress, social isolation, and limited access to treatment. Now that the pandemic has improved, people can once again socialize and access care.
2. Increased efforts: Investments in treatment and preventive measures may have started to yield results. Access to medications such as buprenorphine and methadone has increased, as has access to the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. Test strips for detecting fentanyl have also become more available.
3. Reduced supply: In some parts of the USA, the supply of fentanyl may have decreased, possibly due to efforts against Mexican drug cartels.

Future prospects

Experts express cautious optimism about the overall decrease in deaths from overdoses, but emphasize that there is still much work to be done. They advocate for expanding access to medications such as buprenorphine and methadone, as well as increased availability and affordability of naloxone and fentanyl test strips. Increased investments in prevention programs for young people are also seen as an important measure.