Fatal drug overdoses fall for third straight year: CDC
The decline was driven largely by fewer fentanyl deaths, while researchers warn new synthetic drugs and funding cuts could reverse the trend.
- On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported about 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, a 14% decrease marking the third straight annual decline.
- Increased naloxone availability, expanded addiction treatment, and opioid lawsuit settlement money fueled the decline, while regulatory changes in China a few years ago reduced precursor chemicals for fentanyl.
- Brown University researcher Brandon Marshall said he is "cautiously optimistic" about the trend, though he warned deaths could rise rapidly if policy changes or drug supply shifts occur.
- The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education identified 23 new drugs in the first five months of 2026, including cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid toxicology expert Alex Krotulski described as up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl.
- Kimberly Douglas of Black Moms Against Overdose criticized the Trump administration's decision to stop funding test strips and kits, calling them essential harm reduction services.
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Overdose deaths fell nationally, in Arkansas in 2025, provisional data shows | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas overdose deaths fell by about 5% last year, the fourth consecutive yearly decline in the state, according to provisional federal data released Wednesday.
Overdose Deaths Dropped 14% Last Year
CDC scientists are seeing "very promising" signs in the latest figures for US overdose deaths. Preliminary CDC figures show an estimated 69,973 people died from drug overdoses in 2025, a drop of nearly 14% from 2024 and the third straight yearly decline, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fatalities are...
U.S. Overdose Deaths Fall Amid Cartel Crackdown.
Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a 14 percent drop in overdose deaths in 2025.PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Preliminary government data shows that approximately 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2025, marking a 14 percent decline compared to the previous year. This is the third consecutive annual drop, bringing the total back to pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019. DETAIL: Health officials sa…
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