Overdose deaths fall for the first time in three decades

New preliminary statistics from the CDC show that deaths from drug overdoses likely fell last year for the first time in three decades. Some 68,000 people died in 2018, and although that number may go up, officials don’t expect it to exceed 2017’s total of more than 70,000. Still, the overdose rate is about seven times higher than it was a generation ago. “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,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. The current drop is due to fewer deaths from heroin and prescription painkillers, but deaths from fentanyl and cocaine are still increasing.